THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/gileadguardsstorOOscot 


"THIS  loyal  young  lady  went  TO  HER  Room  and 

CRIED    LIKE   ANY   OTHER   MORTAL." 

Page  22. 


THE 


GILEAD  GUARDS 

A  STORY  OF 

WAR-TIME^    IN    A    NEW    ENQLAND 
TOWN 

BY  MRS.  O.  W.  SCOTT 

AUTHOR   OF 

Nettie  and  Her  Friends,  Santa  Claus  Stories,  Boys  and  Other  Boys, 
Girls  of  To-day,  etc. 


NEW  YORK:  HUNT  &  EA  TON 
CINCINNA  TI:   CRANSTON  &  STOIVE 

i  So  i 


Copyright,  1891,  by 

HUNT    &     EATON, 

New  Yokk. 


TO 
THE  YOUNG  PEOPLE  OF  NEW  ENGLAND, 

AND 

TO  MY  NATIVE  STATE, 

WHOSE 

"GREEN    MOUNTAIN    BOYS'* 

NEVER  LEFT  A  FLAG  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  REBELS 
DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR, 

THIS  STORY  OF  PATRIOTIC  LIVING 

is 

afftctionattlp  ©fbirattb. 


535303 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  page 

Gilead's  First  War  Sermon 7 

CHAPTER  II. 
Plowshares  into  Swords 23 

CHAPTER  III. 
A  Pastoral  Visit 36 

CHAPTER  IV. 
A  Strange  Test 50 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Peculiar  Angel 62 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Sunday  Noon 74 

CHAPTER  VII. 
"Company  F" S7 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Blue  Suits 99 

CHAPTER  IX. 
On  to  Dixie 109 

CHAPTER  X. 
Austin's  Letter 122 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Mrs.  Phelps's  Thanksgiving  Sermon 132 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Emancipation  Proclamation 142 


6  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  page 

A  Fallen  Hero 155 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Esther's  School 164 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Victoria  Victrix 173 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Gilead's  "  Soldiers'  Aid  " 182 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Comfort-bags 194 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Self-denial  Supplies 205 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Two  Lives  for  One 217 

CHAPTER  XX. 
"  Your  Vegetables  or  Vour  Life  !  " 230 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Hiel's  Experience 240 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
From  the  Shadow  of  Death 252 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  Raid  and  a  Raider 261 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Ruby's  Hero 271 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Thanksgiving  Again 282 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Swords  into  Plowshares 292 


THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

GILEAD'S   FIRST  WAR   SERMON. 

THERE  was  nothing  in  the  rural  town  of  Gil- 
ead  on  that  lovely  June  Sabbath  in  1862  to 
suggest  warfare  of  any  kind. 

Looking  around  you  might  have  seen  wide  corn- 
fields, hill  pastures  covered  with  verdure  to  their 
very  tops,  sleepy  cows  lying  beside  shaded  brooks, 
lazily  chewing  their  cuds,  and  long  dusty  roads  lead- 
ing past  quiet  farm-houses.  Farther  away,  out- 
lined clearly  against  the  quiet  sky,  were  long  spurs 
of  the  Green  Mountain  range,  encircling  the  town 
and  completely  shutting  it  in  from  the  outside 
world. 

You  would  have  said,  "  Beautiful  for  situation  !  " 
and  so  it  was ;  even  to  the  small  unambitious  vil- 
lage which  crowned  an  elevation  near  the  center  of 
the  town,  where  were  two  churches,  a  court-house, 
bank,  and  a  few  other  unpretentious  public  build- 
ings in  the  midst  of  pleasant  homes.  The  churches, 
one  white,  the  other  light  brown,  stood  on  either 
side  of  an  inclosed  plot  of  ground  called  the  "  com- 
mon." You  might  have  wondered  why  it  was  in- 
closed, for  it  was  overgrown  with  weeds  and  this- 


S  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

ties,  and  crossed  from  gate  to  gate  by  two  narrow 
paths,  showing  that  it  was  open  to  the  public,  and 
not  a  "  private  institution."  It  was  also  surrounded 
by  a  row  of  trees,  tiny  maples,  most  of  them,  which 
were  nearly  all  dead  and  stood  as  mute  witnesses 
against  a  "  village  improvement  society  "  which  had 
built  the  fence,  set  out  the  trees,  and  then  died  of 
exhaustion. 

But  the  fence  was  not  simply  a  relic,  since  to  its 
post-rails,  Sunday  after  Sunday,  were  fastened  the 
horses  which  brought  the  farmers'  families  to  church. 
There  they  stood  on  this  particular  Sabbath,  with 
bowed  heads  and  half-closed  eyes;  their  tails  lazily 
switching  the  flies  away,  voluntarily  enforcing  the 
natural  "  Sunday  law,"  whose  only  enemy  is  man. 

Two  or  three  village  loafers  sat  on  the  store 
steps  just  around  a  corner,  talking  and  spitting  to- 
bacco-juice right  and  left,  their  soiled  clothing  and 
unshaven  faces  bearing  witness  against  them.  But 
even  they  gave  vent  to  their  stale  jokes  and  lifeless 
gossip  in  lower  tones  than  usual,  irresistibly  sub- 
dued by  the  pervading  quiet  and  peace  of  the  day. 
Possibly,  too,  they  felt  the  influence  of  tones  which 
occasionally  resounded  from  the  nearest  pulpit; 
seeming  to  bring  them,  in  their  forlorn  condition, 
uncomfortably  near  to  their  neglected  "  gospel 
privileges."  They  knew  very  well  whose  voice  it 
was,  and  as  it  grew  more  distinct  with  increasiugV 
earnestness,  Jack  Bragg  remarked  uneasily : 

"The  elder  appears  to  be  havin'  a  remarkable 
free  time." 

And  this  was  also  the  opinion  of  the  people  who 
filled  the  plain,  old-fashioned  white  church,  as  they 


GILEAD'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON.  9 

always  did  when  it  was  noised  abroad  that  "  Elder 
Putnam  "  was  to  be  present  on  one  of  his  official 
quarterly  visits. 

The  young  pastor  of  the  church  looked  upon  this 
popularity  with  a  jealous  eye,  and  decided  to  watch 
the  man  more  carefully,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  by 
what  secret  power  he  drew  from  their  homes  men 
and  women  who  had  never  been  affected  in  the  least 
by  his  own  eloquence.  But  with  the  reading  of  the 
text  on  this  occasion  his  anxieties  began,  increasing 
with  the  progress  of  the  sermon  until  he  was  wholly 
unfit  to  prepare  a  calm  synopsis  of  that  discourse 
or  any  other.  The  text  was,  "  O  thou  sword  of  the 
Lord,  how  long  will  it  be  ere  thou  be  quiet  ? " 
The  preacher  read  it  twice  with  great  distinctness, 
standing  before  the  people,  tall,  dark,  and  spare, 
like  some  self-renouncing  prophet  with  a  message 
from  the  Lord.  Then  followed  Gilead's  first  war 
sermon. 

It  may  seem  strange  that  this  was  true,  but  the 
town  was  far  from  the  centers  of  excitement  and 
action  ;  so,  although  more  than  one  year  of  war 
had  passed  into  history,  this  isolated  little  place  had 
sent  but  few  to  the  front.  A  few  there  had  been, 
of  the  best  and  the  worst  young  men,  who  had  hur- 
ried away  at  the  first  alarm  ;  but  the  great  majority 
were  still  reading  their  own  town  paper,  the  Stand- 
ard, and  the  New  York  Tribune,  and  impatiently 
waiting  for  the  "rulers"  to  settle  the  "little  un- 
pleasantness." 

But  their  loyalty  and  personal  interest  had  been 
pent  up  quite  as  long  as  was  possible,  and  this  ser- 
mon was  like  a  match  thrown  among  prepared  com- 


10  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

bustibles.  The  pastor,  Rev.  G.  Harmon  Phelps, 
looked  into  the  faces  of  the  people  in  amazement 
as  they  listened  to  the  fiery  sentences  which  fol- 
lowed each  other  in  rapid  succession,  often  enforced 
by  resounding  thumps  upon  the  pulpit.  The 
elder  was  never  a  quiet  man  in  preaching,  but 
now  he  paced  back  and  forth,  his  iron-gray  hair 
tossed  from  his  forehead,  his  face  alive  with  intense 
feeling. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  what  shall  we  say  of  this  terrible 
sin  of  slavery  ?  Men  have  dared  to  buy  and  sell 
and  torture  their  brother-men ;  and  the  question  as 
to  whether  it  was  right  or  wrong  has  been  thrown 
back  and  forth  in  our  legislative  halls  until  it  has 
been  molded  into  a  red-hot  cannon-ball,  and  God 
says,  'Use  it  for  the  down-trodden  and  the  oppressed.' 
God  has  been  patient.  He  kept  silent  until  the 
heavens  were  rent  with  the  cries  of  his  enslaved 
children,  and  then  he  stretched  forth  his  hands,  and 
this  nation  is  being  shaken  by  the  fierceness  of  his 
wrath." 

Esquire  Fletcher,  who  occupied  a  prominent  pew 
and  was  listening  intently,  brought  his  gold-headed 
cane  down  upon  the  floor  with  emphasis,  and 
groaned  audibly. 

"  You  have  thought  slavery  was  a  horrible  sin, 
no  doubt,  but  how  can  you  measure  a  sin  that  does 
not  seemingly  touch  you  or  your  interests? 

"  But  God,  according  to  his  word,  is  revealing  to 
this  nation,  and  to  us  as  individuals,  the  magnitude 
of  this  sin  by  demanding  a  corresponding  sacrifice. 
And  O,  what  a  price  to  pay !  When  your  brave 
boys  stand  in  the  day  of  battle  to  fight  for  those 


GILEAD'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON.  11 

who  cannot  fight  for  themselves,  then  you  will  be- 
gin to  understand  God's  opinion  of  this  great  ques- 
tion." 

Two  or  three  women,  mothers  of  "  brave  boys," 
covered  their  faces ;  but  with  outstretched  hand 
the  minister  continued  : 

"  Sin  never  fully  showed  its  hideousness  until  the 
great  Sacrifice  was  offered  once  for  all ;  and  slavery, 
the  special  sin  of  this  nation,  never  looked  as  black 
as  it  will  when  the  altars  of  our  country  are  drenched 
with  patriotic  blood." 

Turning  from  the  description  of  sin  to  the  possi- 
bility of  its  triumph,  the  preacher  aroused  the  loy- 
alty of  his  hearers  by  referring  to  the  struggles  of 
their  forefathers,  and  the  true  significance  of  national 
liberty;  appealing  to  them,  as  they  valued  their 
inherited  blessings,  to  defend  them,  if  need  be,  with 
their  lives. 

It  is  impossible  to  convey  an  idea  of  the  intensity, 
the  fierce  energy,  with  which  the  sermon  was  de- 
livered. It  was  this  even  more  than  the  Avords 
which  electrified  the  people.  Not  that  they  evinced 
any  special  excitement,  for  that  was  not  customary 
in  New  England  country  towns ;  but  one  who  un- 
derstood them  as  well  even  as  their  pastor  might 
safely  predict  results. 

In  a  certain  pew  sat  Mr.  Rollins,  who  had  kept  all 
the  newspapers  out  of  his  home,  lest  his  two  grown- 
up sons  should  "  catch  the  war  fever."  His  face  wore 
a  look  of  stern  disapproval  which  was  faithfully 
reflected  in  that  of  his  wife  ;  who,  being  on  the 
sunny  side  of  the  house  and  close  to  a  large,  un- 
shaded window,  had  spread  her  green  gingham  par- 


12  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

asol,  from  whose  protecting  shade  she  sent  her 
wrathful  glance  toward  the  pulpit. 

The  boys  sat  between  their  parents ;  and  their 
mother  noted  with  a  heart-pang  that  Thomas  was 
preternaturally  quiet,  while  Andrew  was  constantly 
running  his  fingers  through  his  well-oiled  hair  until 
it  stood  up  in  every  direction.  Just  in  front  sat 
Mr.  Douglas,  a  man  of  Scotch  descent,  whose  opin- 
ions were  always  worth  considering.  He  felt  sure 
from  the  first  that  his  son  David's  fate  was  decided. 
But  he  listened,  and  weighed  arguments,  and  ad- 
mitted evidence,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  submit 
bravely  to  the  inevitable,  even  while  a  voice  from 
the  depths  of  his  heart  was  crying,  "  My  son,  my 
son,  my  only  son,  can  I  give  you  up?" 

There,  too,  was  poor  little  Mrs.  Follinsbee,  dis- 
solved in  tears  because  her  big  broad-shouldered 
husband,  who  had  been  growing  restless  of  late,  was 
assuming  a  martial  air,  and  indorsing,  silently  but 
unmistakably,  every  word  of  the  sermon. 

In  the  gallery,  which  rose  behind  and  above  the 
high  "box  pulpit,"  was  the  choir,  numbering  a  dozen 
or  more  young  people. 

At  the  head  of  the  soprano  sat  Ruby  Fletcher, 
the  squire's  only  child.  Her  cheeks  were  crimson 
with  excitement,  and  her  eyes  glowed  as  she  fol- 
lowed the  discourse  and  watched  the  people  in  the 
pews  below.  She  wished  she  were  a  man,  that  she 
might  dash  away  at  once  and  win  glory  upon  a 
battle-field.  As  she  was  only  a  woman,  she  began 
to  wonder  if  Abram  Steele  felt  as  she  did,  and  wished 
she  could  catch  one  glimpse  of  his  face.  But  Abram 
was  chorister,  and  sat  near  the   melodeon  at  the 


GILEAD  'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON:  13 

rear,  quietly  turning  the  leaves  of  his  singing-book. 
Don  Stanley,  who  sat  next  to  Ruby,  at  the  head  of 
the  bass  singers,  gave  an  answering  nod  to  her  in- 
quiring glance;  and  Joe  Armstrong,  just  beyond, 
seemed  profoundly  moved,  but  kept  his  eyes  fixed 
upon  the  minister.  His  wife  was  behind  Ruby,  with 
baby  Nellie;  and,  having  written  a  note  to  Joe  on  a 
leaf  torn  from  her  hymn-book,  she  begged  Ruby  to 
pass  it  to  him,  whispering  as  she  did  so : 

"  He  needn't  think  he  is  going.  I  wont  let  him. 
I  wish  that  minister  was  in  Texas." 

"Don't  talk  that  way,  Vic,"  replied  Ruby. 
"  Somebody  has  got  to  go,  and  if  you  love  your 
country  just  keep  still  and  help  Joe  get  ready.  I 
would,  if  I  were  in  your  place." 

"  You  don't  know  any  thing  about  it.  I  don't 
care  two  cents  for  my  country,  and  Joe's  worth 
more  than  all  the  negroes.     O,  dear!     O,  dear!" 

And  Vic  ended  her  frenzied  whisper  with  an  hyster- 
ical sob  which  all  the  singers  heard,  especially  poor 
Joe,  whose  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  he  thought  of 
what  it  would  be  to  leave  wife  and  baby.  The  ser- 
mon closed  at  length,  and,  like  the  echo  of  a  bugle- 
call  "  America "  was  read.  The  choir  and  con- 
gregation tried  to  sing  it,  but  the  volume  of  sound 
which  the  good  old  tune  usually  carried  was  lack- 
ing, and  at  the  last  verse  it  became  almost  a  bass 
and  tenor  duet.  One  voice,  however,  sustained  the 
air  to  the  end,  and  that  was  Ruby  Fletcher's.  Her 
father,  who,  as  usual,  was  keeping  time  with  his  cane, 
noticed  an  expression  upon  her  face  which  reminded 
him  of  a  picture  of  Joan  d'Arc,  hanging  in  his  li- 
brary at  home  ;  and  he  said  to  himself,  "  If  Ruby 


14  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

were  a  boy  she  would  enlist  to-morrow."  But  Ruby 
was  not  a  boy,  and  so  it  was  an  easy  matter  for 
Esquire  Fletcher  to  hasten  forward  a  little  later, 
shake  hands  with  the  minister,  and  say,  "  That  was 
grand,  elder!  Just  what  was  needed  to  rouse  our 
boys.  If  you  had  called  for  volunteers  you'd  have 
got  them,  I'm  sure." 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Fletcher  would  not  feel  quite  so 
pleased  if  we  had  a  son  to  send,"  said  his  wife. 

"  No,  that  he  wouldn't,"  said  Mr.  Douglas,  ex- 
tending his  hand.  "  He  would  close  his  lips  and 
pray  for  courage,  as  I  do,  when  I  think  of  my 
David." 

Mr.  Putnam  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  fore- 
head and  turned  with  a  look  of  deep  sympathy  at 
this  remark. 

"And  do  you  think  he  will  surely  go?"  he  in- 
quired, then  added,  half-regretfully,  "  I  have  been 
surprised  at  the  way  the  subject  has  opened  before 
me.  I  was  led  out  to  speak  of  things  I  had  not 
thought  to  mention,  and  yet  I  meant  it  all,  breth- 
ren, every  word  of  it." 

"  Of  course  !  of  course  !  "  responded  Mr.  Douglas, 
heartily.  "  I've  been  convinced  for  some  time  that 
we  would  have  to  do  our  part ;  but  it  comes  hard  on 
us  who  have  boys." 

"  I  have  two  in  the  field  already,"  said  the  min- 
ister, in  a  husky  tone;  "  so  I  know  just  how  it  is." 

Mrs.  Follinsbee,  a  meek,  hard-working  woman, 
naturally  very  retiring,  now  pressed  forward,  her 
eyes  red  with  weeping. 

"  My  husband  will  go  to  war  now,  I  know  he 
will,"  said  she,  "  and  you  are  responsible  !  " 


GILEAD  'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON.  15 

"  O,  I  hope  not,  I  trust  not !  Your  husband 
would  not  take  such  a  step  without  serious  thought 
and  deep  conviction,  I  am  sure,"  said  the  minister, 
looking  really  distressed.  But  Mrs.  Follinsbee  only 
shook  her  head  and  hurried  away. 

Mr.  Rollins,  who  had  formerly  expressed  high 
admiration  for  Mr.  Putnam,  did  not  stop  to  shake 
hands.  Instead,  he  expressed  his  opinion,  outside 
of  the  door,  in  a  subdued  Sunday  growl : 

"  Did  ye  ever  hear  such  stuff?  I  come  to  meetin' 
to  hear  the  Gospel,  and  if  a  man  can't  preach  the 
Gospel  he  better  keep  away  from  Gilead." 

"  O,  well,"  answered  Mr.  Steele,  good-naturedly, 
"  this  'ere  war  may  be  a  gospel  war.  I  can't  tell. 
He  preached  just  what  he  believes,  and  I  wouldn't 
wonder  if  he  got  it  about  right." 

"  A  minister  has  no  business  to  preach  politics, 
any  way,"  snapped  Mrs.  Rollins,  who  was  envelop- 
ing herself  in  a  '  linen  duster '  in  view  of  her  three- 
mile  ride.  "  We  rode  away  down  here  this  hot  day 
to  listen  to  an  edifyin'  sermon,  and  I  got  the  boys  to 
come,  and  here  they've  got  their  minds  all  joggled 
up  about  this  war  business,  and  next  we  know  they'll 
be  'listin',  Thomas  and  Andrew  both,  fer  they 
always  go  together;"  and  a  sound  like  a  sob  fol- 
lowed the  last  word,  which  she  seemed  to  transfix 
with  the  pin  she  used  to  fasten  the  duster  at  the 
throat. 

Mr.  Steele,  who  was  very  lame,  sat  down  in  the 
little  vestry  to  wait  until  Abram  came  to  the  door 
with  the  family  wagon.  He  was  generally  very 
prompt,  but  to-day  he  lingered  in  the  gallery,  pre- 
tending that  the  melodeon,  which  had  a  chronic 


16  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

weakness  in  the  bellows,  needed  special  attention. 
After  the  other  members  of  the  choir  had  left,  Ruby 
Fletcher  came  back  for  a  forgotten  glove,  as  Abram 
had  begged  her  to  ! 

"  Well?  "  said  she,  inquiringly,  her  face  still  glow- 
ing with  the  Joan  d'Arc  expression. 

"  I  must  go ;  I  suppose  you  know  that  ?  "  said  he, 
lightly  and  yet  decidedly. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  fully  understanding,  "  and 
I  only  wish  I  could  go  too." 

"  May  I  come  up  to  see  you  a  little  while  this 
evening  ?"  was  the  next  question,  and  Abram  closed 
and  locked  the  melodeon  nervously  before  he  looked 
at  her. 

"  Yes,  if  you  want  to,"  responded  Ruby ;  and  then 
she  ran  down  the  stairs  to  join  her  father,  her  heart 
throbbing  strangely,  while  hot  tears  rushed  to  her 
eyes.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  still  talking  with  the  two 
ministers  ;  while  her  mother,  the  Steele  girls,  and 
Miss  Hancock  were  gathered  about  Mrs.  Judge 
Plumley,  whose  son  was  captain  of  a  cavalry  com- 
pany. She  belonged  to  the  "  other  church,"  but, 
being  engaged  in  packing  a  box  for  the  "  boys,"  had 
come  across  the  "  common  "  to  give  the  ladies  an 
opportunity  to  send  packages  if  they  desired  to 
do  so. 

"  We  haven't  many  friends  there  yet,"  said  Miss 
Hancock ;  "  but  there's  no  telling  when  we  shall 
have.  After  the  sermon  we  had  to-day  it'll  be  a 
wonder  if  men  enough  stay  at  home  to  do  the  hay- 
ing." 

"  Be  thankful  you've  nobody  to  send,  Miss  Han- 
cock," said  Mrs.  Plumley,  tenderly. 


GI LEAD'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON.  17 

"But  haven't  I?"  responded  that  lady.  "Look 
at  my  Sabbath-school  class !  A  dozen  young  men 
that  I've  had  since  they  wore  dresses — some  of  them, 
any  way — and  haven't  I  told  them  war  stories  by 
the  hour?  I  thought,  as  I  watched  their  faces  to- 
day, that  I  had  done  my  part  toward  preparing 
them.  I  wanted  them  to  be  brave,  but  not  for 
this." 

But  the  noise  of  wheels  at  the  door  called  the 
Steele  girls  away,  and  very  soon  the  old  meeting- 
house was  silent ;  and  the  dust  settled  upon  the 
great  Bible  and  hymn-book,  the  spiders  went  on 
weaving  lace  curtains  over  the  bare  windows,  the 
pews  assumed  again  that  look  of  peculiar  emptiness 
which  characterizes  church  pews  during  the  week, 
and  the  old  sexton,  who  lived  just  across  the  street, 
laid  down  his  paper  and  hobbled  over  to  lock  the 
door ;  but  the  words  which  had  been  spoken  were 
not  shut  in.  They  were  already  like  seed  scattered 
broadcast,  destined  to  bring  forth  much  fruit. 

Mr.  Steele's  horse,  tired  and  hungry  after  his  long 
fast,  could  hardly  wait  until  the  family  were  seated 
in  the  carriage  to  start  for  home.  He  went  pranc- 
ing and  curveting  through  the  village,  only  settling 
into  a  respectable  trot  when  the  long  hill  was 
reached. 

It  seemed  natural  then  that  the  sermon  should  be 
discussed,  but  there  was  an  ominous  silence  instead. 
Abram  used  his  whip  assiduously  upon  the  birch 
saplings  which  almost  touched  the  wheels  ;  for  the 
hill  road  ran  through  delightful  woods  whose  shade 
was  doubly  welcome  on  a  melting  summer's  day. 
His  father  was  absorbed  in  his  own  meditations,  and 


IS  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Esther  and  Mary  did  not  care  to  break  the  spell.  So 
the  mile  and  more  between  church  and  home  was 
passed  without  a  word  on  the  exciting  topic  of  the 
day. 

But  the  news  had  been  in  advance  of  them,  for 
the  Hickey  boys,  who  lived  beyond  Mr.  Steele's, 
had  discovered  Benjie  standing  under  some  plum- 
trees,  book  in  hand,  while  he  "  watched  the  bees," 
whose  expected  swarming  had  kept  him  at  home. 

"  Hello  ! "  they  called,  approaching  with  long 
strides,  their  Sunday  coats  hanging  over  their  arms, 
their  hats  pushed  back  from  perspiring  foreheads. 

"  Whew  !  "  ejaculated  John  Henry,  using  his  hat 
for  a  fan.  "You  look  nice  'nd  comfort'ble  here  in 
the  shade,  Benjie.  I  tell  you  it's  too  hot  to  dress 
up  in  meetin'  clothes.  Good  things  has  to  be 
lined,  I  s'pose,  but  lining's  a  nuisance  such  weather 's 
this." 

"  You'd  orter  heard  Elder  Put's  sermon,  though," 
interposed  George,  drawing  a  long  "  ribbon  grass  " 
over  his  thumb  ;  "  every  body's  wide  awake,  I  tell 
you.  It  was  a  regular  fightin'  sermon  ;  'nd  all  the 
boys  're  ready  to  enlist.  You'd  orter  seen  their 
faces,  and  the  women's  faces  too.  O,  my!  you'd 
thought  'twas  a  funeral,  to  see  'em  cry.  You'll  find 
out  Abram  '11  go ;  I  could  sec  how  he  looked 
in  behind  his  singin'-book.  Ruby  Fletcher,  too — 
she  grew  red  in  the  face,  'nd  her  eyes  snapped,  'nd 
I'll  bet  she  wished  she  was  a  boy,  so  she  could  go, 
She  wont  keep  Abram  from  goin';  you  c'n  bet  your 
life  on  that !  " 

"  Some  of  the  old  men  got  to  talkin',"  interrupted 
John    Henry,    "and   I  heard    'em  say  that    Abram 


G I  LEAD  'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON:  19 

would  be  an  officer  if  he  went.  He's  a  grand  good 
feller,  Abram  is." 

It  made  Benjie  feel  an  inch  taller  to  hear  his 
brother  praised,  but  he  only  said,  "  I  don't  know- 
about  that ;  I  guess  there's  a  good  many  that  want 
to  be  officers." 

"Yes,"  said  John  Henry,  gathering  himself  up 
to  go  on,  "  it  aint  likely  any  Gilead  boy  will  want 
to  be  less  'n  captain  ;  though  if  I  enlist  I'll  be  sat- 
isfied with  first  lieutenant's  place  ;"  and  his  big  sober 
mouth  broadened,  and  his  eyes  twinkled  in  visible 
appreciation  of  the  joke. 

As  the  two  brothers  walked  on,  Benjamin  hurried 
into  the  house,  where  he  found  the  family  just  ready 
to  sit  down  to  a  late  dinner,  which  also  answered  for 
an  early  supper. 

"  Have  you  really  made  up  your  mind  to  go  to 
war,  Abram?"  asked  the  boy,  excitedly,  as  he  slid 
into  his  place.  "The  Hickey  boys  think  so,  any- 
how." 

"Benjamin!"  cried  his  mother,  with  quick  ap- 
prehension, "what  are  you  talking  about?  The 
Hickey  boys  ought  to  be  in  better  business  than 
telling  such  stuff  on  Sunday." 

Abram  looked  at  his  father  and  the  girls  with  a 
queer  smile.  "  They  were  only  following  the  minis- 
ter's example,  I  guess.  But  the  fact  is  we  might  as 
well  face  this  thing  first  as  last ;"  and  Abram  threw 
back  his  broad  shoulders.  "  I  do  expect,  if  I  live,  to 
enlist." 

"  O,  Abram  !  "  and  with  grief-stricken  face  his 
mother  looked  at  him,  while .  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears. 


20  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Wish  't  I  was  old  enough  to  go  too,"  said  Rcnjie 
in  a  low  tone,  giving  Abram  an  admiring  nod. 

Mr.  Steele  buttered  the  piece  of  bread  on  his 
plate  and  cut  it  into  sections.  "  It  don't  surprise 
me  much  to  hear  you  say  so,  Abram,"  he  said  at 
length,  his  voice  husky  in  spite  of  strong  self-con- 
trol. "  I  know  that  many  must  die  for  the  sins  of 
the  nation,  but  I  have  hoped  there'd  be  enough  to 
settle  the  question  without  drawing  on  Gilead. 
Seems  to  me  we  haven't  many  to  spare." 

"  There's  none  to  spare,"  interrupted  his  wife. 
"  The  farms  will  grow  up  to  weeds  while  the  boys 
are  down  South  getting  shot  for  nothing." 

"You  don't  mean  for  nothing,  mother,"  said  Es- 
ther, leaning  forward  with  flushed  cheeks  and  tear- 
ful eyes.  "  The  minister  said  the  Right  would  win 
sooner  or  later." 

"  I  see  you  are  all  on  Abram 's  side,  quite  willing 
to  have  him  go  and  leave  your  poor  lame  father 
alone,"  answered  her  mother,  reproachfully. 

"  O,  now,  mother,  you  know  better  than  that," 
said  Abram.  "  Father  wont  be  left  alone.  Austin 
must  come  home,  of  course,  because  he  can't  go  any 
way.  He's  only  twenty,  but  he  can  help  do  the 
farm  work  as  well  as  I,  and  I'm  sure  it  is  his  turn 
after  a  year  in  Boston.  Why,  mother,  I  have 
been  thinking  about  this  for  some  time,  and  I 
wonder  now  that  I  could  have  waited  so  long. 
You  would  despise  me  if  I  stayed  at  home  like  a 
coward." 

"  There's  enough  that  can  go  and  never  be 
missed,"  was  his  mother's  only  answer  as  she  looked 
into  his  manly  face,  now  full  of  animation. 


GI LEAD'S  FIRST  WAR  SERMON.  21 

"Did  the  bees  swarm,  Benjamin?"  asked  Mr. 
Steele. 

"  No,  sir  ;  I  thought  they  was  going  to,  but  I  guess 
there  was  some  trouble  with  the  queen  bee.  Any- 
how, they  finally  settled  down." 

"  May  be  she  didn't  want  them  to  leave  the  old 
hive,"  said  Abram,  with  a  glance  at  his  mother.  But 
she  did  not  answer  it,  perhaps  did  not  hear  his 
remark. 

The  family  were  not  in  the  habit  of  talking  freely 
about  matters  that  affected  them  most  deeply;  and, 
true  to  their  training,  they  finished  the  meal  almost 
in  silence,  though  their  hearts  ached  with  dread 
and  apprehension. 

That  evening  Abram  went  to  see  Ruby  Fletcher. 
In  quiet,  staid  Gilead  a  Sunday-night  visit  was  full 
of  meaning  and  supposed  to  be  a  sure  indication  of 
"something  serious."  Ruby  understood  this,  and 
with  the  exaltation  of  the  day  still  unsubdued  she 
put  roses  in  her  hair  and  upon  her  breast,  and  sat 
behind  the  vines  in  the  broad  veranda  watching  for 
him.  They  had  always  known  each  other,  and  it 
was  tacitly  agreed  by  interested  friends  that  they 
would  some  time  "  make  a  match  ;  "  but  there  had 
never  been  a  formal  engagement. 

That  night,  however,  when  Abram  left  Esquire 
Fletcher's  he  was  quite  ready  for  congratulations. 
Ruby  had  greeted  him  as  a  hero,  and  it  seemed  the 
most  natural  thing  in  the  world  to  promise  herself 
as  a  reward  when  he  should  return  from  battle-fields, 
bearing  honors,  titles,  and,  possibly,  wounds.  When 
he  suggested  that  Ruby  only  cried  out,  in  her  im- 
pulsive fashion : 


22  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  As  though  that  would  make  any  difference ! 
I'd  rather  have  you  come  back  with  only  one  arm 
than  stay  at  home  and  keep  both." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Ruby  was  more  patriotic 
than  the  majority  of  young  ladies.  Her  father  had 
"  talked  politics  "  with  her  mother  and  herself  until 
they  thoroughly  understood  the  condition  of  na- 
tional affairs  ;  and,  as  she  inherited  his  ardent,  im- 
pulsive temperament,  she  echoed  his  sentiments  even 
to  the  limit  of  self-abnegation.  But,  after  bidding 
Abram  a  cheerful  good-night,  this  loyal  young  lady 
went  to  her  room  and  cried  like  any  other  mortal ; 
proving  by  heartache  and  tears  that  her  sacrifice 
was  no  less  real  because  it  was  offered  with  a  self- 
forgetful  enthusiasm. 

As  for  Abram,  we  must  forgive  him  if  he  held  his 
head  higher  than  usual  as  he  strode  toward  home. 
All  desirable  good  seemed  within  his  grasp.  Ad- 
venture, patriotic  daring  and  danger,  faithful  service, 
advancement,  glory,  and — Ruby !  He  had  not 
known  until  that  day  the  possibilities  within  him- 
self; and  as  he  stood  at  his  father's  door  he  turned 
and  looked  across  the  fields  and  upon  the  meadows 
through  which  the  river  ran,  all  so  still  under  the 
starlight,  and  wondered  that  he  had  stayed  in 
Gilead  so  long.  How  small  the  place  looked  in  the 
light  of  the  future  !  How  uneventful  and  barren 
his  life  had  been  !  But  now  it  was  to  expand  and 
grow  richer  and  nobler  as  he  gave  himself  to  his 
country  as  a  patriot  soldier.  And,  looking  up  into 
the  serene  heights  above,  he  thanked  God  for  life 
and  the  prospect  that  opened  before  him. 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  23 


CHAPTER    II. 

PLOWSHARES    INTO    SWORDS. 

ABRAM'S  exalted  state  of  mind  was  in  no  sense 
disturbed  by  his  visions  of  the  night ;  and  he 
appeared  at  the  breakfast-table  with  a  radiant  face, 
which  his  mother  scanned  with  troubled  eyes. 

"  You  don't  look  as  though  you  expected  to  leave 
home  and  friends  in  a  little  while,  Abram,"  said  she, 
passing  him  the  fragrant  johnny-cake. 

"  O,  now,  mother,  don't  go  to  thinking  that  I 
shall  get  killed  in  the  first  battle.  I  expect  to  go 
and  come  back  again  to  take  care  of  you  in  your 
old  age.  Of  course  you  feel  bad,  but  what  could 
you  expect  of  a  boy  that  has  read  Uncle  Toms 
Cabin  through  as  many  times  as  I  have  ?  Why,  I 
tell  you  I  have  almost  learned  that  by  heart.  And 
then  think  how  father 's  taken  the  Tribune  and 
Harper's  Weekly  all  this  year  past,  until  we're  full 
of  fight,  and  ready  to  give  advice  to  every  general 
in  the  army ; "  and  Abram  laughed  cheerily,  as 
though  the  whole  subject  was  one  to  make  merry 
over. 

"  The  Tribune  comes  out  pretty  strong — pretty 
strong,"  said  his  father,  with  emphasis  on  the  first 
syllable,  but  otherwise  sure  of  his  ground.  "  None 
too  much  so,  though;  for  people  and  papers  can't 
stand  on  the  fence  these  days." 

"  I  guess  we  don't  stand  on  the  fence,"  said  Ben- 


24  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

jie,  his  mouth  hardly  cleared  in  his  haste  to  speak. 
"  It  would  be  funny,  after  hearing  so  much  about 
slavery,  if  none  of  father's  boys  should  have  a  hand 
in  getting  rid  of  it." 

"  Austin  would  be  the  one  to  go  if  he  was  of 
age,"  said  Mary.  "  He's  all  for  excitement  and 
change  ;  but  I  don't  see  how  we  can  get  along  with- 
out Abram.  Austin  never  '11  carry  us  to  meetings 
and  singing-school  as  you  do,  Abram.  But  there 
wont  be  a  singing-school  or  any  thing  else,  will 
there  ?  Who'll  sing  bass  and  tenor  when  all  the 
boys  are  gone  ?  "  And  Mary,  who  was  just  learning 
to  sing,  looked  around  with  a  doleful  face. 

"  O,  the  girls  will  learn  all  parts,  and  have  a  fe- 
male choir,  probably.  And  you  can  learn  to  chop 
wood,  and  ride  on  the  mowing-machine,  and  do  lots 
of  things.  Why,  Mary,  it  will  be  almost  as  good  as 
though  you  were  a  boy." 

As  Mary  was  rather  noted  for  her  scorn  of  wom- 
anly duties  this  provoked  a  laugh  at  her  expense ; 
and  Abram  was  very  careful  to  lead  the  conversation 
from  that  point  away  from  the  exciting  topic  of  the 
day.  Breakfast  finished,  Mr.  Steele  read  a  chapter 
from  the  Bible  and  offered  prayer,  which  opened 
their  hearts  anew  and  sent  every  member  of  the 
family  in  a  different  direction,  as  soon  as  they  rose 
from  their  knees,  to  hide  the  tears  they  could  not 
check.  Left  alone  in  the  sunny  sitting-room,  Mr. 
Steele  settled  himself  once  more  in  his  broad  old 
arm-chair  and  opened  his  Bible.  This  was  a  long- 
established  habit  of  his  ;  in  fact,  his  wife  had  often 
groaned  in  spirit  when,  on  a  bright  morning,  he 
would  become  so  interested  in  a  text  as  to  sit  hunt- 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  25 

ing  up  references  for  an  hour,  when,  in  her  opinion, 
he  should  have  been  differently  employed.  But  for 
a  few  years  past  she  had  left  him  in  peace,  since  his 
increasing  lameness  had  made  him  incapable  of 
protracted  labor — and  then,  there  was  Abram ! 
He  had  really  taken  charge  of  affairs  almost  wholly 
since,  two  years  before,  he  came  from  school  be- 
cause he  learned  that  his  father  was  borrowing 
money  to  keep  him  there.  He  had  a  very  high  re- 
spect for  his  father's  mental  and  moral  qualities, 
but  saw  that,  through  his  goodness  and  confidence 
in  his  fellow-men,  he  was  constantly  liable  to  impo- 
sition. Abram  could  never  forget  how,  when  Mr. 
Slocum's  old  blind  ox  fell  into  their  ditch,  his  father 
had  sent  him  over  with  one  of  their  best  cows  to 
make  "  lawful  restitution,"  and  how  Mr.  Slocum 
had  chuckled  over  the  matter,  accepting  the  cow 
even  while  he  declared  that  the  old  ox  "  would  have 
been  killed  for  beef  the  next  week  any  way ! " 
Abram  was  a  little  fellow  at  the  time,  but  he  lay  up 
in  the  hay-mow  a  long  while  crying  over  the  loss  of 
the  cow,  and  trying  to  decide  what  was  right  and 
what  was  wrong,  not  daring  to  take  his  perplexity 
to  his  father  ;  for,  while  Mr.  Steele  erred  on  the 
side  of  mercy  in  his  dealings  with  the  world,  he  was 
a  rigid  disciplinarian  in  his  family  and  encouraged 
no  confidential  conferences  with  his  children.  But 
now  Abram,  without  interfering  with  his  father  in 
any  way,  had  established  a  sort  of  "  protectorate  " 
over  his  interests,  and  was  trying,  with  a  prospect 
of  success,  to  pay  off  the  mortgage  and  make 
needed  improvements.  His  position  as  the  head 
of  affairs  was  tacitly  acknowledged,  and   old    Mr. 


26  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Slocum,  who  was  still  apt  to  "  overreach,"  showed 
his  respect  for  the  young  man  by  building  several 
rods  of  rail-fence  which  he  had  always  insisted  "  be- 
longed to  Steele."  Abram  laughed  when  his 
father  cited  it  as  an  indication  that  Mr.  Slocum  was 
"  growing  clever  in  his  old  age."  And  now  that 
this  strong,  reliable  son  was  about  to  leave  him  it 
was  not  strange  that  Mr.  Steele  felt  the  need  of 
consolation  and  read  psalm  after  psalm  until  his 
mind  was  at  rest. 

But  the  mother  could  not  take  time  from  her  busy 
morning  to  read  the  Bible.  As  she  skimmed  pans  of 
milk  in  the  cool  pantry,  transferring  the  rich  yellow 
cream  to  earthen  jars,  she  recalled  Abram's  baby- 
hood and  boyhood;  and  the  love  which  had  been 
growing  all  these  years  protested  against  his  decision. 
Such  was  her  temperament  that  she  saw  but  one 
possible  result  of  his  going,  which  was  a  fatal  shot 
on  a  pitch-dark  battle-field  !  Her  imagination  ran 
on  until  she  saw  him  buried  in  an  unknown  grave, 
the  homestead  sold,  and  herself  and  her  husband, 
reduced  to  extreme  poverty,  on  their  way  to  the 
poor-house.  And  yet  in  the  very  midst  of  these 
gloomy  pictures  she  decided,  like  so  many,  many 
mothers  in  those  dreadful  days,  to  make  the  best  of 
what  seemed  inevitable. 

As  for  the  cause  of  all  these  sad  anticipations,  he 
went  to  his  work  with  a  martial  tread,  feeling  that 
he  must  accomplish  as  much  as  possible  before  leav- 
ing the  old  farm.  Benjie  kept  close  by,  as  though 
a  new  partnership  had  been  formed  between  them, 
quite  ready  to  air  his  views  of  Abram's  prospects  as 
a  soldier,  and  to  "  bet  "  any  amount  that  he  would 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  27 

speedily  be  called  to  some  high  position.  They 
had  been  in  the  field  but  a  short  time  when  a  loud 
"Hullo!"  called  their  attention  to  the  roadside, 
and  there  they  found  Joe  Armstrong. 

"  I  can't  work  this  morning,"  said  he,  dejectedly. 
"Guess  I  can't  do  any  thing  till  this  thing  is 
settled,  for  if  you  go,  Abram,  I  must.  Vic  cried 
and  took  on  so  last  night  that  I  tried  to  give  it  all 
up,  but  I  can't.  It  makes  me  sick  to  think  of  it. 
Seems  if  I  should  die  if  I  don't  go,  'nd  I  don't  know 
but  Vic '11  die  if  I  do." 

The  distress  in  Joe's  honest  eyes  was  not  as- 
sumed, by  any  means,  and  yet  Abram  laughed  as  he 
said,  "Why,  Joe,  you've  got  the  war  fever  bad, 
and  of  course  you  must  go.  I  don't  believe  Vic  will 
die,  though  she'll  miss  you  dreadfully.  Some  women 
arc  not  so  brave  as  others ;  they  can't  help  it." 

And  Abram's  heart  glowed  at  the  thought  of 
Ruby's  enthusiasm.  In  fact,  his  heart  had  been  in 
a  blissful  condition  ever  since  he  received  her  royal 
blessing,  and  no  difficulty  looked  very  serious  in  the 
light  of  his  present  experience.  Joe's  lip  quivered 
as  he  replied : 

"  Vic  don't  seem  to  see  any  good  in  it  yet. 
She  just  sees  me,  you  know,  'nd  she's  afraid  I'll  get 
shot.  Then  there's  little  Nellie ;  but  for  all  that  I 
feel  's  if  I  must  go." 

Love  of  country  and  love  for  his  pretty,  shiftless 
wife  and  the  baby  were  evidently  making  it  hard 
for  Joe. 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  do,"  said  Abram, 
after  a  little  pause.  "  I'd  go  to  work  and  fix  things 
up  and  get  one  of  her  brothers — there's  Frank,  for 


28  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

instance — to  stay  with  her  and  carry  on  the  farm ; 
and  then,  when  the  recruiting  office  is  open,  as  it 
probably  will  be  soon,  why,  you  just  enlist,  and 
there  you  are  !  " 

Joe  straightened  himself  and  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  That's  what  I  will  do.  I  don't  know  what 
makes  me  feel  so  plaguey  bad,  but  since  that  sermon 
yesterday,  seems  's  if  I'm  all  afire  ;  'nd  I  tossed  and 
tumbled  all  night." 

"  It's  catching,  Joe.  You  needn't  explain  the 
symptoms  to  me,"  laughed  Abram. 

Joe  strode  away,  his  face  much  brighter  than 
when  he  came;  and  as  he  hurried  home  "'cross 
lots"  he  decided  just  what  he  ought  to  do.  And 
"  ought "  was  a  strong  word  with  Joe.  He  had 
been  a  poor  boy,  and  had  grown  up  in  Gilcad, 
working  here  and  there,  going  to  school  when  he 
could,  and  winning  a  good  many  friends  in  place  of 
the  father  and  mother  he  had  lost.  Not  that  he 
had  much  petting,  for  the  wise  people  in  Gilead 
did  not  think  that  was  good  for  little  boys,  but 
they  had  been  fairly  kind  to  him.  They  brought 
up  their  calves  on  skim  milk  and  then  boasted  of 
their  size  and  general  excellence  ;  so,  now  that  Joe 
had  outlived  his  skim-milk  days,  they  felt  a  degree 
of  pride  in  his  prosperity,  for  Joe  had  bought  and 
cleared  a  piece  of  land  just  at  the  foot  of  the  mount- 
ain and  built  a  pretty  little  house.  The  neigh- 
bors encouraged  him  and  gave  their  approval  to 
that  project ;  but  when  he  married  Victoria  Cleo- 
patra Shaw  they  groaned  in  concert. 

"  That  silly,  lazy  thing ! "  they  said,  looking  at 
their  own  sensible,  industrious  daughters. 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  29 

Victoria  was  the  only  girl  in  a  family  of  seven 
boys,  and  her  mother,  a  romantic,  aspiring  woman, 
whose  life  of  toil  gave  her  only  imaginary  bliss,  had 
spoiled  Victoria  by  allowing  her  to  spend  her  time 
in  idleness.  The  young  lady  read  fashion  magazines 
and  story-papers  enough  to  break  down  the  strong- 
est mind  ;  and  her  affections  were  about  equally 
divided  between  them,  her  pretty  clothes,  and  Joe. 
But  Joe  was  satisfied  with  his  "  thirds,"  and  his  big, 
generous  heart  overflowed  with  gratitude  whenever 
he  thought  of  the  prize  he — a  homely,  awkward  fel- 
low, as  he  called  himself — had  secured.  In  this  state 
of  mind  he  still  continued,  in  spite  of  his  queen's 
imperfections ;  and  it  was  no  wonder  that  he  had  a 
struggle  between  his  love  of  wife  and  country.  But 
in  deciding  to  enlist  he  had  no  idea  of  giving  his 
life — that  was  Vic's.  He  just  wanted  to  go  down 
and  help  knock  the  breath  out  of  slavery.  That 
was  all !  Vic  had  not  touched  the  breakfast-table 
that  morning,  and  when  Joe  came  and  stood  in 
the  door-way  she  sat  with  her  hands  clasped  in 
her  lap,  listlessly  watching  little  Nellie,  who  was 
creeping  about  the  unswept  floor  in  company  with 
a  couple  of  chickens  that  had  ventured  in  after 
crumbs.  She  only  pouted  at  Joe,  and  said  not  a 
word. 

"  Don't  feel  bad  any  more,  Vic,"  said  he.  "  I'm 
going  to  work.  We  wont  cross  the  bridge  till  we 
get  to  it,  anyhow.  Want  me  to  see  if  I  c'n  get 
some  of  them  peas  for  dinner?  " 

"  If  ye  want  to,"  said  Vic,  sullenly. 

"  Well,  I  will.  Come,  now,  you  fix  up  a  little  and 
see   to   the  milk,  wont  von  ?     I'm    afraid   we  wont 


30  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

make  butter  enough  for  ourselves  if  the  cream  aint 
took  care  of." 

"  I  don't  want  no  butter  if  you  go  to  war,"  sobbed 
Vic. 

Joe,  seeing  the  uselessness  of  argument,  discreetly 
withdrew  after  kissing  the  baby  and  driving  out 
the  chickens. 

If  any  one  could  have  taken  a  bird's-eye  view 
of  Gilead  that  day  he  would  have  seen  other  young 
men  than  Abram  and  Joe  who  were  quite  ready  to 
beat  their  plowshares  into  swords  and  start  for 
battle-fields.  He  would  have  seen  them  gathered 
by  twos  and  threes  at  convenient  corners  where 
"  lots "  joined,  and  made  friendly  consultations 
practicable,  while  the  "  team  "  rested,  and  grass 
and  grain  waited  and  waved  in  the  sunshine. 

But  perhaps,  after  all,  Miss  Hancock  gathered 
the  news  nearly  as  fast  as  one  could,  even  with  an 
unusually  extensive  outlook.  Not  that  Miss  Han- 
cock was  a  gossip  !  She  detested  the  character 
and  did  not  deserve  it  ;  nor  could  we  correctly  say 
that  she  "  gathered  "  news. 

It  seemed  to  come  to  her  naturally,  because  of  her 
relation  to  the  place  and  the  people  ;  and,  having  said 
this,  it  may  be  as  well  to  introduce  Miss  Hancock 
more  fully,  because  she  was,  as  Mrs.  Judge  Plumley 
said,  "  a  person  you  ought  to  know."  Prudentia 
Hancock,  then,  was  the  last  of  her  family  in  Gilead, 
and  at  this  time  was  a  little  past  forty.  But  she 
was  youthful  in  appearance,  her  small,  trim  person, 
unwrinkled  face,  and  keen  black  eyes  having  appar- 
ently made  a  truce  with  Father  Time.  She  had 
been  the  tailoress  in  Gilead,  but  as  sewing-machines 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  S WORDS.  31 

came  into  use,  and  ready-made  clothing  was  added 
to  the  miscellaneous  stock  of  goods  in  all  country 
stores,  and  a  man  tailor  opened  a  shop  at  the  "  Cen- 
ter "  with  a  great  parade  of  advertisements,  her  cus- 
tomers gradually  slipped  away.  Her  work  could 
not  be  excelled,  especially  her  button-holes,  which 
defied  the  ravages  of  time;  but  her  patterns  did  not 
conform  to  the  latest  styles ;  and  in  some  way  her 
customers  had  ascertained  that  there  was  a  change 
in  the  mode  of  cutting,  and  a  few  new  tricks  in  the 
disposal  of  buttons  and  braid,  so  that  only  a  few  of 
the  "older  inhabitants  "  who  wore  "  sheep's-gray  " 
and  scoffed  at  fashion  remained  upon  her  list.  She 
had  a  little  home  of  her  own,  next  door  to  the  par- 
sonage, and  some  money  in  the  bank ;  but  what 
healthy  independent  New  England  woman  is  satis- 
fied to  fold  her  hands  until  she  is  obliged  to  ?  So 
of  course  Miss  Hancock  took  up  dress-making  and 
nursing. 

And  in  the  sick-room  she  found  a  new  kingdom. 
Her  voice,  naturally  strong  and  decided,  sank  to  a 
most  sympathetic  purring — not  a  whisper,  that 
rasping,  nerve-tearing  whisper  which  makes  a  pa- 
tient frantic  and  gives  him  a  wild  desire  to  raise  the 
roof  and  send  the  nurse  flying  up  toward  the  starry 
heavens,  but  a  calm,  cheerful,  even  tone  which 
made  a  man  hope  to  live,  or,  if  he  must  die,  glad  to 
be  in  so  good  hands  at  the  last. 

But  Miss  Hancock  was  valued  quite  as  much  for 
what  she  was  as  for  what  she  did.  She  was  intel- 
ligent and  original,  a  "  great  reader,"  and  very  fond 
of  good  poetry.  She  admired  Bryant  and  Long- 
fellow and  Whittier,  but  if  she  found  in  the  Standard 


32  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

a  little  poem  which  struck  her  fancy  she  embalmed 
it  in  her  memory  and  pasted  it  in  her  scrap-book  in 
close  companionship  with  "  Thanatopsis  "  or  some 
other  "  rich  relation,"  as  she  said. 

As  she  would  pick  a  blue  violet  whose  hue  was 
deeper  than  that  of  its  neighbors,  so  she  was  con- 
stantly discovering  these  little  gems  of  poetry  and 
prose ;  and  many  a  time  her  sharp  shears  paused  in 
their  legitimate  work  of  pattern-cutting  to  rescue 
them  from  some  old  newspaper.  "  Rare  birds  fly 
low  sometimes,  so  don't  look  for  all  the  singers  in 
the  tops  of  trees,"  she  would  say.  Looking  back 
through  the  years,  one  sees  certain  characters  clearly 
outlined  against  the  horizon  of  his  youth.  Others 
are  forgotten  or  recalled  with  difficulty ;  but  these, 
through  an  individuality  which  was  not  fully  recog- 
nized then,  are  like  friends  of  yesterday.  The  tone 
of  voice,  the  peculiar  gesture,  the  varying  expres- 
sion, are  all  remembered.  Miss  Hancock  is  such  a 
character.  If  she  were  not  this  digression  would 
have  been  shorter.  On  this  particular  day,  however, 
at  half  past  three  in  the  afternoon,  Miss  Hancock 
closed  and  locked  the  door  of  her  little  house,  put 
the  key  in  her  pocket,  looked  back  to  see  if  the 
curtains  were  all  drawn,  and  then  hastened  down 
street  toward  Esquire  Fletcher's.  This  pleasant 
home  was  just  outside  the  village,  surrounded  by 
trees  and  shrubbery  and  beds  of  blooming  flowers ; 
while  beyond  was  the  farm,  comprising  acres  of 
well-cultivated  land. 

Miss  Hancock's  brisk  walk  terminated  when  she 
reached  the  garden,  for  she  never  could  get  past 
Mrs.  Fletcher's  flowers  without  bending  over  them 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  33 

a  moment  for  a  breath  of  their  fragrance.  But  the 
next  moment  she  walked  in  through  the  wide  cool 
hall,  and  tapped  on  the  sitting-room  door. 

"Yes,  it's  me,"  said  she,  in  response  to  a  cordial 
greeting.  "  I  started  to  come  at  seven  o'clock,  cal- 
culating to  finish  your  dress  before  this  time,  but 
such  a  time  's  I've  had.  I  expect  from  appearances 
my  Sunday-school  boys  are  all  going  to  enlist — all 
but  two.  Johnny  Dyke  is  lame,  and  Charles  Clark 
isn't  eighteen.  I  tell  you  I  feel  like  a  lone  pelican 
upon  the  house-top.  Where's  the  scissors,  Ruby? 
I'll  work  and  talk,  too." 

"  Never  mind  the  work  ;  tell  us  about  the  boys," 
said  Ruby,  clasping  her  hands  tightly,  as  was  her 
habit  when  excited. 

"  Well,  first  come  Hiram  Follinsbee,  and  wanted 
me  to  talk  with  his  wife.  So  I  went  over  and  stayed 
an  hour,  maybe,  getting  her  calmed  down.  Of  course 
I  didn't  tell  her,  but  I  couldn't  help  thinking  that 
Hiram  would  do  better  for  her  in  the  army  than 
anywhere  else.  He's  a  great  strong  man,  and  will 
do  a  good  day's  work  for  any  body  but  Hiram  Fol- 
linsbee. Take  him  at  home  and  he's  real  shif'less. 
But  then,  she  thinks  he's  perfection,  and  that's  all 
the  law  requires.  Well,  next  come  Don  Lester,  to 
hand  me  some  work  I  got  his  mother  to  help  me 
finish  off;  and  when  I  asked  him  what  he  thought 
of  the  sermon  he  said  he  indorsed  it,  and  if  his 
mother  would  consent  he  should  go  with  the  boys." 

"  His  mother  never  will  consent,  I'm  sure.  Why, 
Donald  is  all  she  has,"  said  Mrs.  Fletcher. 

"Yes,  but  you  can't  tell.  She's  one  of  these 
quiet,  long-suffering  women  that  wouldn't  say  a 
3 


34  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

word  if  Don  thought  'twas  duty  to  go.  That's  my 
opinion  of  her,  though,  of  course,  living  here  so  few 
years,  we  none  of  us  feel  much  acquainted.  Well, 
then,  don't  you  think  !  That  Mrs.  Smith  drove  down 
from  the  mountain,  and  wanted  to  get  me  to  make 
some  fine  shirts  for  her  boys!  She's  bound  they 
shall  have  every  thing  nice  if  they  go.  I  had  to 
laugh  !  I  told  her  they  wouldn't  want  fine  bosom- 
shirts  if  they  went  to  war.  If  you  believe  it,  she  was 
real  disappointed  ;  for  she  had  her  butter-money,  and 
she  just  wanted  to  lay  it  out  on  her  three  boys.  I 
told  her  there'd  be  ways  enough  to  spend  it  before 
they  left.  On  the  way  down  she  heard  that  Abram 
Steele  and  Joe  Armstrong  and  the  Hickey  boys 
would  likely  enlist,  and  O,  dear  me,  who'll  be  left, 
I  wonder !  There's  your  father  with  the  paper, 
Ruby.  Do  ask  him  to  come  in  and  tell  us  the 
news." 

"  Father  always  wears  his  spectacles  to  the  post- 
office  now,  so  he  needn't  lose  a  minute,"  said  Ruby, 
as  she  ran  out. 

"There's  no  special  news  to-day,"  said  Esquire 
Fletcher  as  he  seated  himself,  "only  a  summing  up 
of  particulars  about  McClellan's  retreat.  Seven 
days'  fighting  on  the  way,  winding  up  with  Malvern 
Hill,  you  know — just  before  the  last  call  for  three 
hundred  thousand  more.  Our  side  lost  more  than 
fifteen  thousand  men,  and  didn't  take  Richmond 
either.     I  declare  it's  enough  to  make  a  man  sw — " 

"There,  Mr.  Fletcher,  don't  say  it,"  interposed 
his  wife.  "Of  course  you  don't  know  how  many 
difficulties  he  has  to  contend  with." 

"That's  so;    but  if  the  Lord's   got   a  man   any- 


PLOWSHARES  INTO  SWORDS.  35 

where  that  can  take  that  splendid  army  and  do 
something  with  it  I  wish  he'd  fetch  him  along.  I 
wouldn't  wonder  a  bit  if  Lee  marched  up  through 
Maryland  and  took  Washington  while  our  men  are 
fugling  round  down  there." 

"Well,"  sighed  Miss  Hancock,  "it  seems  that 
our  boys  will  be  needed." 

"  Needed  ?  Yes,  indeed  !  Our  Gilead  boys  have 
got  to  go  down  there  and  show  them  how  to  do  it ;" 
and  the  old  gentleman  looked  at  Ruby  with  a 
meaning  smile.  She  tried  bravely  to  return  it,  but 
it  was  a  failure.  She  turned  to  the  window  and  hid 
her  face,  thinking  of  the  fifteen  thousand  brave  boys 
who  would  never  come  back. 


36  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A     PASTORAL    VISIT. 

"  '  Yes,  we'll  rally  round  the  flag,  boys, 

Rally  once  again, 
Shouting — ' " 

"  T)ENJAMIN,please  don't  sing  that  anymore;" 

\~J  and  Mrs.  Steele  turned  toward  the  boy  who 
was  singing  at  the  top  of  his  voice — a  voice  that 
was  just  now  trying  to  decide  where  it  belonged, 
and  breaking  in  unexpected  places — one  of  the 
many  patriotic  songs  which  surged  through  the 
North  clear  as  bugle-calls,  arousing  all  hearts  to  a 
new  enthusiasm.  Benjie  sat  down  and  removed  his 
big  straw  hat. 

"  It  keeps  runnin'  in  my  head,  mother,"  said  he. 
"  I  tell  you  it  sounded  good  when  Miss  Bailey  sung 
it  last  night  at  the  concert.  She  was  all  dressed  in 
white,  you  know,  and  she  had  a  big  flag — " 

But  his  mother  had  left  the  room,  and  Esther 
patiscd,  broom  in  hand,  to  say  : 

"  Now,  Benjie,  don't  you  trouble  mother  so.  She 
feels  bad  about  Abram's  going,  and  you  ought  to  be 
careful.  What's  the  news?  Is  the  recruiting  office 
open  yet?" 

"  Will  be  to-morrow.  I  went  round  by  Judge 
Plumley's  office  while  the  horse  was  bein'  shod,  and 
lots  of  men  was  there.  Wint  Allen's  home,  struttin' 
'round  in  his  uniform,  and  John  Bartlett — he's  come 


A  PASTORAL  VISIT.  37 

from  Boston.  Some  of  the  boys  think  he  expects 
to  be  captain  of  the  new  company.  Don  Stanley 
rode  to  the  corner  with  me,  and  he's  goin'.  His 
mother  said — well,  what's  the  matter  with  you  ?  O, 
I  know — you  like  him  ;  you  like  him !  "  and  the  un- 
feeling boy  doubled  up  over  his  straw  hat,  more 
amused  than  alarmed  by  his  sister's  evident  distress. 

"  Benjie  Steele  !  "  gasped  Esther,  while  her  face 
grew  as  red  as  it  had  been  white,  "  don't  you  dare 
say  one  word.  Why,  I'm  ashamed  of  you.  Now, 
Benjie  !  " 

"  Well,  you  get  me  a  big  hunk  of  pie  and  I  wont. 
I  don't  care.  He's  a  good  feller.  Like  him  if  you 
want  to;  "  and  with  this  brotherly  sanction  Benjie 
seized  the  wedge  of  pie  which  had  been  speedily 
brought,  settled  his  hat  with  one  dextrous  thrust, 
and  ran  away. 

Esther  sat  down  and  covered  her  face,  surprised 
and  ashamed  that  she  had  betrayed  her  secret,  and, 
above  all,  overwhelmed  by  the  news.  They  had 
thought  Don  would  never  leave  his  mother;  but 
now — well,  what  right  had  she  to  grieve  ?  He  had 
been  friendly  and  polite,  nothing  more  ;  and  Esther 
took  herself  to  task  at  once  with  all  the  conscien- 
tiousness of  a  girl  trained  to  a  Puritanic  modesty 
and  reticence.  She  seized  the  broom  and  began 
work  with  redoubled  energy.  Meanwhile  her 
thoughts  ran  on  according  to  a  law  of  their  own,  and 
tears  came  to  her  eyes  in  spite  of  indignant  protest. 

Don  Stanley  and  his  mother  had  come  to  Gilead 
several  years  before  and  settled  near  the  mills  just 
below  the  village,  where  he  obtained  employment ; 
but,  the  location  proving  unfavorable,  he  had  hired 


38  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

a  little  house  not  far  from  Joe  Armstrong's,  where 
his  mother  might  have  the  benefit  of  mountain  air, 
and  walked  every  day  to  and  from  his  work.  They 
had  a  humble  home  and  lived  in  a  modest  way,  but 
there  were  certain  indications  that  they  had  seen 
"better  days."  The  widow,  in  her  fine,  plain  black 
dresses  and  clinging  crape,  with  her  refined  manner 
and  speech,  was  accused  of  "  feeling  above  her 
neighbors  ;  "  while  Don,  who  was  like  her,  only  with 
the  advantages  of  youth  and  strength,  was  called 
"  stuck-up  "  by  his  uncouth  associates.  But  a  few 
friends  they  had  won,  among  whom  were  Abram 
and  Esther,  Miss  Hancock,  and  Ruby  Fletcher, 
all  of  whom  respected  their  well-bred  reserve,  and 
felt,  as  Miss  Hancock  expressed  it,  that  "  where 
they  came  from  and  whether  they  had  any  '  folks ' 
or  not  was  their  own  business.  Any  body  could  see 
with  half  an  eye  that  they  had  an  ancestry." 

And  this  young  man,  erect,  polite,  intelligent,  so 
much  like  those  of  whom  Esther  had  read,  had  un- 
wittingly won  more  than  her  friendship.  Poor  Es- 
ther !  She  felt  that  sultry  morning  that  the  war  was 
no  longer  "  down  South,"  but  right  there  in  Gilead, 
invading  homes,  breaking  hearts.  Somehow  the 
spirit  of  loyalty  which  had  enabled  her  to  bear  the 
thought  of  Abram 's  going  was  not  sufficiently 
strong  to  meet  this  emergency.  She  hurried  from 
one  duty  to  another  impetuously,  upbraiding  her- 
self for  the  pain  that  would  not  be  "  disciplined," 
fretted  by  the  heated  kitchen  and  the  never-ending 
routine  of  housework.  But  the  dinner-hour,  so  full 
of  weariness,  was  at  length  over.  The  work  was 
"  done  up,"  as  New  Englanders  say,  and  at  three 


A  PASTORAL  VISIT.  39 

o'clock  the  farm-house,  within  and  without,  was 
ready  for  a  quiet  afternoon.  Even  the  hens  seemed 
to  understand  the  programme,  for,  after  bristling 
and  clucking  about  the  yard  all  the  forenoon,  they 
retreated  to  the  currant-bushes  or  plum-trees,  under 
which  they  quietly  reveled  in  nests  which  they  hol- 
lowed for  themselves  in  the  warm  dust. 

From  a  distant  field  came  the  voices  of  the  men 
at  work,  mingled  with  the  rattle  of  machinery,  and 
there  was  in  the  air  a  murmur  of  insect  life  ;  but  all 
sounds  were  muffled  by  the  heat,  which  made  the 
sunshine  itself  look  faded  as  it  quivered  through 
trees  whose  leaves  hung  limp  and  motionless.  On 
a  board  by  the  woodshed  was  a  shining  pyramid  of 
tin  pans  and  pails  and  an  empty  churn  whose  clean 
"  flyers  "  hinted  of  aching  arms.  Crossing  the  well- 
swept  "  shed-  room,"  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
kitchen  with  white  floor  and  well-blacked  stove,  be- 
hind which  sits  the  "wood-box"  full  of  wood, 
"hard  and  soft,"  it  being  one  of  Benjie's  daily 
afflictions  to  keep  it  well  supplied.  Near  a  wide 
lounge,  in  an  old  rocker  which  swung  to  and  fro  with 
many  a  complaining  creak,  sat  Mrs.  Steele,  braiding 
rags  to  be  coiled  and  sewed  "  round  and  round  " 
into  a  rug,  which,  once  finished,  would  last  nearly 
a  life-time.  Flies  buzzed  sleepily  on  the  little  win- 
dow-panes, and  in  the  side  door  opening  into  an 
entry  between  kitchen  and  sitting-room  lay  Carlo, 
a  handsome  foxy-looking  dog,  extended  at  full 
length.  In  the  sitting-room  an  old-fashioned  brass 
clock  ticked  lazily — the  children  said  it  always  knew 
when  rest-time  came,  and  lost  its  sharp  peremptory 
tone — and  at  either  end  of  the  broad  shelf  which 


40  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

held  it  were  piles  of  newspapers.  There  was  a 
book-case  with  glass  doors  and  a  home-made  desk 
neatly  covered,  which  was  Abram's  property.  A 
spider-legged  melodeon,  a  three-and-a-half-octave 
instrument  of  wonderful  capacity,  stood  between 
the  two  west  windows  ;  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor  was  a  large  table,  hinting  at  family  gatherings 
at  "  meal  time  "  and  on  long  evenings.  The  floor, 
as  you  saw  it  between  round  and  oblong  rugs,  was 
"spruce  yellow,"  smooth  and  shining. 

Here  Esther  sat  in  her  pink  calico  afternoon  dress, 
holding  her  work,  but  not  sewing,  only  idly  tracing 
figures  on  the  window-pane,  against  which  the  lilac 
bushes  outside  tapped  and  scratched.  She  was  still 
grieving,  as  girls  will  grieve  over  a  first  sorrow  ;  but 
sorrow  seldom  has  a  whole  afternoon  to  itself;  and 
Esther's  reverie  was  interrupted  by  her  mother,  who 
hurried  in,  exclaiming, 

"  Quick,  Esther,  open  the  parlor.  The  minister  and 
his  wife  are  coming,  and  I  must  get  on  my  best 
cap  ! " 

She  had  barely  time  to  roll  up  the  curtains,  raise 
the  windows,  and  remove  Mary's  best  bonnet  from 
the  table  before  the  Rev.  G.  Harmon  Phelps  and 
his  wife  were  ushered  in  by  her  mother,  whose 
"  best  cap  "  gave  slight  indications  of  a  hasty  adjust- 
ment. 

Mrs.  Steele  shook  up  the  feather  cushion  in  the 
rocking-chair  to  a  plumper  puffiness,  and  begged 
the  minister  to  sit  down  ;  but  with  due  respect  for 
the  heat,  and  his  wife,  he  generously  waved  her  to- 
ward the  cushion  and  seated  himself  upon  what 
was  called  a  "  settee,"  a  sort  of  wooden  sofa  with 


A  PASTORAL   VISIT.  4i 

rockers.  Esther  slipped  away  for  a  moment  to  put 
on  a  white  apron,  smooth  her  hair  afresh,  and  ex- 
amine her  eyes  to  see  if  they  gave  evidence  of  the 
tears  that  were  constantly  threatening  to  overflow. 
Meanwhile  her  father  had  put  the  minister's  horse 
in  the  barn  with  a  generous  supply  of  oats  before 
him,  and  then  limped  into  the  house  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible to  make  himself  ready  to  entertain  his  honored 
guest.  For  in  this  home,  always  open  to  ministers, 
there  still  prevailed  an  old-fashioned  idea  that  a 
servant  of  the  King  was  to  be  treated  with  special 
respect. 

During  these  preliminaries  the  minister  and  his 
wife  were  examining  the  daguerreotypes  and  books 
arranged  upon  the  table,  the  pictures  that  hung 
upon  the  wall,  and  smiling  a  little  over  the  mantel 
ornaments — a  plaster-of-paris  bouquet,  balanced  by 
a  kneeling  Samuel  of  the  same  material,  a  huge 
conch  shell,  and  a  pair  of  glass  candlesticks  each 
holding  a  fresh  tallow  candle.  These  last  were  not 
for  ornament,  but  use,  as  Mr.  Steele  cherished  the 
opinion  that  ''kerosene  was  'mazin'  unsafe." 

This  young  couple  had  had  the  misfortune  to  be 
reared  in  a  city,  hence  they  were  constantly  meet- 
ing the  "unexpected"  in  their  pastoral  visits; 
and  sometimes  it  took  the  form  of  bric-a-brac  and 
sometimes  that  of  the  people  themselves.  And 
the  minister  was  often  quite  as  much  interested 
in  one  as  the  other.  He  had  begun  his  work  in 
the  ministry  honestly  believing  that  he  had  some 
new  "  methods  "  that  would  regulate  society  ;  and 
he  came  to  Gilead  expecting  the  people  would 
crowd  to  hear  him  ;  expecting  they  would  regard 


42  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

him  with  a  sort  of  worshipful  affection.  But  to 
his  surprise,  after  listening  a  few  Sabbaths,  they 
began  to  grow  indifferent ;  and,  as  the  summer  heat 
increased,  the  honest  farmers  who  had  worked  hard 
through  the  week  would  settle  down  comfortably  in 
their  pews  and  go  to  sleep  almost  before  he  had 
announced  his  text.  This  was  very  discouraging, 
and  he  told  his  wife  confidentially  that  he  did  not 
believe  any  other  man  ever  had  such  an  ignorant, 
unappreciative  audience  as  his  was. 

Like  all  young  ambitious  souls,  he  was  meeting 
difficulties  that  had  been  met  and  overcome  by 
thousands  of  his  brethren  ;  but  every  David  has  to 
face  his  own  Goliath,  who  always  looks  taller  and 
stronger  to  him  than  any  other  giant  that  was  ever 
seen  or  heard  of.  In  that  "dark  age"  of  pulpit- 
building  he  was  architecturally  raised  high  above 
the  people,  and  constitutionally  and  theologically 
he  was  elevated  still  higher,  so  that  really  he  was 
a  long  distance  from  the  "  five  smooth  stones  "  that 
still  lay  in  the  brook. 

When  on  the  previous  Sabbath  he  saw  his  vener- 
able brother  in  the  ministry,  who  had  no  alma 
mater,  hurling  thunder-bolts  right  and  left  ;  when 
he  saw  old  and  young  awake  and  excited,  moved 
and  melted  in  turn,  he  was  well-nigh  distracted  ; 
and  he  told  his  wife — that  long-suffering  little 
woman,  who  had  to  bear  all  his  inconsistencies  dur- 
ing this  erratic  period — that  Mr.  Putnam  had  taken 
advantage  of  his  knowledge  of  slavery,  politics,  etc., 
to  arouse  the  people.  For  his  part  he  questioned 
the  propriety  of  such  a  course.  He  thought  the 
civil  war  was   an  abominable  mistake  which  might 


A  PASTORAL    VISIT.  43 

have  been  prevented  "  if,  and  if;  "  until  Mr.  Phelps, 
who  did  not  realize  "  the  spring  of  all  his  woes," 
felt  constrained  to  advocate  "  pastoral  calls," 
hoping  thus  to  change  the  tide  of  his  thought. 
This  was  one  cause  of  the  visit  at  Mr.  Steele's,  which, 
after  a  brief  distraction,  as  already  noted,  progressed 
much  after  the  usual  fashion,  save  that  Mrs.  Phelps, 
with  watchful  skill,  prevented  any  reference  to  the 
war  or  the  "  war  sermon."  And  so  a  couple  of 
hours  passed,  and  Mary  came  home  from  school, 
and  the  sun  crept  around  to  the  west  windows, 
sending  its  slanting  rays  through  shielding  rose- 
bushes, on  which  birds  sat  and  swung,  peeping  in  at 
the  busy  talkers. 

And  then  Esther  and  her  mother  withdrew  to  pre- 
pare tea,  and  the  boys  came  from  the  field  tired 
and  hot,  to  be  intercepted  and  hurried  up-stairs 
that  they  might  make  a  little  extra  preparation 
before  meeting  "  the  minister's  folks."  And  then 
came  supper,  heralded  by  a  delightful  odor  of  tea 
and  warm  cream  biscuits,  and  other  uncommonly 
toothsome  dainties. 

"  Abram,"  said  the  minister  as  he  broke  one  of 
the  biscuits,  "how  will  you  enjoy  soldier's  fare  after 
eating  such  dainties  as  these?  " 

"  Not  very  well,  I  dare  say,"  was  the  hearty  an- 
swer; "  but  Uncle  Sam  can  hardly  be  expected  to 
furnish  home  fare." 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  an  appetite  for  what  you 
get,  so  many  of  the  boys  are  sick  in  camp.  I 
think  more  and  more  that  this  war  is  a  stupendous 
mistake,"  continued  Mr.  Phelps,  while  his  wife 
vainly  tried  to  introduce  another  subject. 


44  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Of  course  it  is  a  mistake,  but  not  ours,"  an- 
swered Abram.  "  We  fight  to  defend  our  rights 
and  protect  the  helpless.  I  thought  the  sermon  last 
Sunday  proved  that  clearly  enough.     Didn't  you?" 

"  Well,  really,  I  can't  say  that  I  did  ;  "  and  the 
minister  balanced  his  spoon  thoughtfully  on  the 
edge  of  his  cup.  "  These  are  days  that  call  for 
caution  and  reserve  in  expressing  our  opinions. 
Love  of  country  is  strong,  but  there  are  many  ar- 
guments that  should  be  dispassionately  considered. 
Before  I  could  venture  to  discuss  the  subject  I 
should  take  time  for  extensive  research  and  calm 
deliberation." 

Several  pairs  of  eyes  were  directed  inquiringly  to- 
ward him  as  he  closed  his  remark,  from  which  the 
family  failed  to  gather  just  what  his  opinion  was. 

Abram 's  eyes  had  a  mischievous  expression,  al- 
though his  tones  were  perfectly  respectful  as  he 
said  : 

"  Well,  you  know  the  presiding  elder  has  a  chance 
at  us  but  once  in  three  months,  and  he  can't  afford 
to  be  very  deliberate.  He  has  to  give  us  his  ideas 
hot  and  heavy." 

"  Yes  ;  and  we  must  remember,  too,  that  he  is 
an  old  antislavery  man,"  added  Mr.  Steele.  "  I've 
heard  him  off  and  on  now  for  a  good  many  years, 
and  I  never  heard  him  make  the  opening  prayer 
without  praying  for  '  our  colored  brother  in  chains.' 
Always  did,  years  ago,  when  nobody  else  thought 
of  doing  it." 

As  a  Christian  Mr.  Phelps  was  touched  by  this 
testimony,  but  with  perverse  jealousy  he  con- 
tinued : 


A  PASTORAL   VISIT.  45 

"  Well,  if  prayer  and  practice  go  together  in  this 
case,  I  will  admit  that  he  is  a  rare  exception. 
Would  he  love  his  '  colored  brother  '  as  well  if  he 
were  a  little  nearer,  think  you  ?  " 

Mr.  Steele's  children  had  rarely  seen  any  sign  of 
excitement  in  their  father's  face  ;  but  now  they 
noticed  a  red  flush  under  the  coat  of  tan. 

"  Have  another  biscuit,  brother,"  said  he,  "and 
let  me  give  you  some  more  honey.  Benjie,  pass  the 
cheese.  May  be  you  never  heard  how  the  elder 
took  the  place  of  a  runaway  slave  once  ?" 

"  No,  I'm  a  Jersey  man,  you  know.  Let  us  hear 
how  he  did  it,"  said  the  minister,  who  had  not  no- 
ticed any  rise  in  the  temperature. 

"  Well,  there  was  a  branch  of  the  under-ground 
railroad  not  a  thousand  miles  from  here,  that  used 
to  do  a  pretty  lively  business ;  and  Dyke's  hotel, 
down  to  the  Center,  was  one  of  the  stopping-places. 
Mr.  Putnam  lived  there  then,  and  old  Dr.  Snow  ; 
both  of  'em  in  the  business.  One  night  a  poor  lost- 
lookin'  fellow  come  to  the  tavern,  black,  but  not  so 
black  as  some,  on  his  way  to  Canada.  Well,  Dyke 
give  him  a  good  supper  and  bed  accordin'  to  in- 
struction ;  and  they  said  they  would  let  him  sleep 
till  five  o'clock  the  next  morning  and  get  him  away 
before  folks  was  stirring  much.  But  he  hadn't 
more  'n  got  to  sleep  when  up  rode  two  men  all  in 
a  white  heat  after  a  '  runaway  nigger,'  as  they  said. 
They  said  they'd  tracked  him  there,  and  they  must 
sarch  that  house  high  and  low  ;  and  they  raged 
round  the  bar-room  swearin'  like  troopers.  Well, 
Mr.  Dyke  didn't  know  what  to  do.  He  sent  a  boy 
out  the  back  door  to  fetch  the  elder  and  old   Dr. 


46  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Snow,  and  then  he  laid  himself  out  to  keep  them 
men  in  the  bar-room.  He  got  'em  to  the  fire,  and 
mixed  some  toddy,  and  got  'em  to  describe  the 
runaway,  and  bustled  'round  as  if  he'd  turn  the 
house  upside-down  for  them.  You  know  Thomas 
Dyke  out  to  the  village  ?  " 

The  minister  bowed  affirmation. 

"  Well,  this  was  his  father — nervous  and  fussy  by 
nature,  and  Thomas  takes  after  him.  Well,  when 
he  couldn't  keep  'em  any  longer  in  the  bar-room, 
then  the  lights  begun  to  bother ;  and  he  got  all  the 
girls  to  running  over  each  other  fetching  more  of 
'em  ;  but  at  last  he  actually  took  the  men  up-stairs. 
Then  he  went  about  routing  up  two  or  three  ped- 
dlers, and  soon  till  he  was  fairly  obleeged  to  open 
that  door.  When  he  see  the  black  head  on  the  pil- 
low he  said  he  was  almost  faint,  to  think  nothin' 
had  been  done;  but  when  he  looked  a  little  closer 
he  suspected  how  it  was,  and  says  he,  'This  must 
be  your  man,  gentlemen,  but  you  better  let  him 
sleep  now  you  have  him  safe,  and  not  make  a  fuss 
to-night,  for  I  keep  a  quiet  house.'  He  kept  wav- 
in'  'em  back  and  whisperin',  but  he  said  they  was 
wild  to  get  hold  of  him,  and  one  of  'em  drew  out 
his  pistol  and  leveled  it  at  the  bed  and  swore  he'd 
make  a  hole  through  the  rascal's  head.  But  Dyke 
threatened  he'd  put  'em  out  if  they  made  so  much 
noise  ;  so  after  swearin'  till  every  thing  was  blue 
they  made  him  lock  the  door  on  the  outside  and 
give  them  the  key,  and  went  down  to  the  bar- 
room, saying  that  after  havin'  supper  they'd  take 
turns  watchin'  the  door  till  morning.  Dyke  said 
he    hoped    to  be    forgiven,   but   he    got    'em    both 


A  PASTORAL    VISIT.  47 

drunk  as  fools  before  midnight.  Then,  of  course, 
he  found  out  how  matters  stood. 

"  While  he  was  hinderin'  'em  at  first,  the  elder 
and  Dr.  Snow  got  the  runaway  dressed  in  a  new 
suit  and  into  the  doctor's  carriage  and  off  on  the 
road  toward  Canada  line. 

"  Then  the  elder,  he  crept  into  bed,  and,  being  a 
very  dark-complected  man,  he  hoped  to  deceive 
the  slave-catchers,  just  as  he  did." 

"  How  did  he  feel  when  he  heard  them  talking 
about  shooting  him  ? "  asked  the  minister,  so  in- 
terested that  he  stopped  eating. 

"  He  said  he  felt  sorry  that  he  forgot  to  kiss  his 
wife  and  children  before  he  left  home." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence. 

"  He's  always  been  that  kind  of  a  helpful  man," 
added  Mr.  Steele,  "  and  I  can't  help  thinkin'  it's  the 
right  sperit.  It's  the  sperit  that  brought  the  Lord 
from  heaven  to  take  our  place  when  we  was  in  bond- 
age, at  any  rate." 

"  It  is  a  beautiful,  grand  spirit,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Mrs.  Phelps,  warmly ;  "  I  shall  admire  Mr.  Putnam 
more  than  ever,  now  I  have  heard  this  story." 

"Yes;  I  am  sure  he  has  shown  that  he  can  prac- 
tice as  well  as  preach,"  said  her  husband,  frankly. 

Mr.  Steele  nodded  approvingly. 

"  You  get  a  notion,  too,  of  the  way  he  feels  about 
the  war.  It  isn't  no  political  question  with  him, 
it's  the  story  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt  over  again. 
He  sees  the  Lord's  hand  in  it  all ;  and  when  he 
advocates  fightin'  he  calculates  it's  in  the  interests 
of  truth  and  righteousness." 

At   that  moment  a  horse  was  heard  slowly  tramp- 


48  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

ing  across  the  chip-yard,  followed  by  the  noise  of 
wheels,  and  looking  out  they  saw  the  hero  of  their 
conversation  in  his  old  wagon,  with  a  buffalo-robe 
thrown  over  the  seat,  drawn  by  an  ancient  horse 
that  he  valued  highly  because  it  "  never  interfered 
with  his  meditations." 

"  Talk  of  angels  and  you  hear  their  wings," 
laughed  Abram,  as  he  hurried  out  to  the  old  min- 
ister's assistance. 

Mr.  Phelps  could  but  notice  the  loving  reverence 
with  which  the  entire  family  regarded  this  man  ; 
and  he  himself  took  his  hand  as  he  entered,  dimly 
suspecting  that  he  had  the  honor  of  meeting  a  lineal 
descendant  of  "prophets,  priests,  and  kings,"  and  in 
consequence  feeling  for  an  instant  his  own  inferior- 
ity. Any  one  who  remembers  "  sixty-two,"  and 
how  one  great  theme  was  always  before  the  people, 
can  understand  that  conversation  did  not  lag  dur- 
ing the  next  hour.  All  work  was  suspended,  and 
Esther  and  Mary,  with  rapt  faces,  sat  silent  near 
Mrs.  Phelps,  wondering  as  they  listened,  to  hear 
Abram  talk  so  wisely  and  so  well  as  he  kindled  in 
animation  under  the  elder's  magic  influence. 

And  in  the  dusky  twilight  the  cows  came  lowing 
down  the  lane,  forgotten  by  the  enchanted  boy,  Ben- 
jamin, who  in  his  quiet  corner  drank  in  the  spirit  of 
the  times  and  "  only  wished  't  he  was  six  years  older." 

And  when  in  a  matter-of-fact  tone  the  old  hero 
announced  that  he  was  "  on  his  last  round  of  visits," 
and  should  offer  himself  as  chaplain  or  "  any  thing 
else  they  can  make  of  me,"  there  was  a  unanimous 
expression  that  there  could  be  no  place  too  good 
for  him.     And    the  Rev.   G.    Harmon    Phelps   felt 


A  PASTORAL    VISIT.  40 

that  there  was  really  something  in  this  devotion  to 
principle  that  would  bear  investigating. 

After  the  visitors  were  gone  and  all  was  again 
quiet  Esther  leaned  from  her  window  to  enjoy  the 
cool  odorous  wind  which  blew  noiselessly  across 
the  fields ;  and,  recalling  her  experience  of  the 
morning,  was  surprised  that  the  bitterness  of  her 
grief  was  all  gone.  There  was  still  the  thought  of 
personal  suffering,  but  above  it  sounded  the  key- 
note of  the  sentiments  to  which  she  had  listened, 

"  The  oppressed  must  go  free  !  " 


50  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A    STRANGE    TEST. 

ABRAM  rode  rapidly  toward  the  village  on  his 
black  colt,  Gypsy.  It  was  afternoon,  and  he 
felt  a  little  impatient  that  his  duties  should  have 
kept  him  so  long  from  the  recruiting  office,  for,  after 
a  man  decides  to  do  a  thing,  especially  if  it  is  in  the 
line  of  self-sacrifice,  he  feels  impatient  until  the 
preliminaries  are  settled.  But  in  spite  of  haste  he 
took  the  roundabout  road  that  led  past  Ruby's 
home,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  her  sitting 
with  her  sewing,  half-hidden  by  the  vines,  as  he 
checked  Gypsy  at  the  gate.  She  came  down  the 
garden-path,  stopping  to  pick  some  clove  pinks  for 
his  button-hole,  and  he  noticed  that  her  dress  of  blue 
lawn  was  charmingly  becoming,  while  the  knot  of 
red,  white,  and  blue  ribbons  which  she  wore  at  her 
throat  he  took  as  a  subtile  compliment  to  himself. 
Her  face — but  what  are  features  described  in  de- 
tail?— it  was  a  healthy,  happy  face,  with  a  trick  of 
changing  its  expression  as  her  feelings  changed. 
Ruby  could  look  very  resolute  and  decided,  and  she 
could  look  very  tender  and  confiding.  Her  best 
friends  said,  "  She  will  make  a  splendid  woman," 
indicating  that  Ruby  in  the  present  tense  was  un- 
disciplined and  somewhat  wayward,  but  full  of  grand 
possibilities.  Abram,  however,  did  not  look  into 
the  future,  or  speculate  as  to  what  Ruby  might  be 


A  STRANGE  TEST.  51 

in  the  days  to  come.  As  she  looked  up  at  him 
with  a  smile  that  betrayed  two  dimples  he  was  fully 
satisfied  with  her  present  perfection. 

"  I  know  where  you  are  going,"  said  she,  with  a 
tremor  in  her  voice,  "  and  now  that  the  time  has 
come  I  don't  like  it  at  all." 

"  It  does  seem  hard,  Ruby.  May  be  I  wont  go 
after  all ;  "  and  Abram  laughed  as  one  will  to  hide 
deeper  feelings. 

"  Father  said  if  I  dared  say  a  word  to  discourage 
you  or  any  one  else  he  would  shut  me  up  in  the 
closet,"  said  Ruby. 

"  O,  that  would  be  dreadful !  I  must  hurry  along 
so  you  wont  be  tempted  to  discourage  me,  then. 
Good-bye ;  "  and  yielding  to  the  impatient  Gypsy 
Abram  galloped  away. 

Ruby  looked  after  him  with  her  hand  above  her 
eyes.  He  seemed  like  a  brave  knight  of  "  ye  olden 
time "  on  his  coal-black  steed,  and  she  was  the 
"  faire  ladye  "  who  proved  her  loyalty  by  years  of 
waiting  in  a  moated  castle.  One  of  the  clove  pinks 
had  fallen  from  his  hand  and  lay  in  the  grass  at 
her  feet.  She  picked  it  up,  carried  it  to  her  lips, 
and  then  fastened  it  carefully  to  the  red,  white,  and 
blue  ribbons  at  her  throat.  Flushing  guiltily,  she 
looked  around  to  see  if  she  were  observed ;  but  no 
one  was  in  sight  but  Hiel  Sanders,  her  father's  hired 
man,  who  was  too  near-sighted  to  be  feared.  He 
stood  at  the  pump  drinking  from  the  tin  dipper.  As 
he  hung  it  up  with  a  satisfied  grunt  he  remarked : 

"  That  wuz  Abram  Steele,  wuzn't  it?  Steps  like 
his  black  colt.  Ruther  went  round  Robin  Hood's 
barn  comin'  this  road,  didn't  he?" 


52  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

This  remark  was  made  rather  aimlessly,  partly  to 
show  that  he  knew  very  well  why  Abram  came  that 
way,  partly  because  Hiel  liked  to  be  "sociable." 

Martha  Thompson,  who  had  just  come  to  the 
kitchen  window  with  a  pan  of  fresh  ginger-snaps  in 
her  hand,  answered  with  a  sharp,  "  S'posin'  he  did 
come  this  way?  I  guess  he's  a  perfec'  right  to 
while  he  can.  'Twont  be  many  days  'fore  this 
town  '11  be  like  a  silent  tomb.  Every  body's  goin' 
to  war,  seems  's  if,  'ceptin'  you  'nd  a  few  other  old 
simpletons." 

Hiel  laughed  good-naturedly  and  snatched  a 
couple  of  cakes  from  the  pan. 

"  Wal,  Marthy,  's  long  ez  me  V  Job  Smith  don't 
go  you  wont  have  no  call  to  put  on  mournin'." 

Martha  aimed  the  long  fork  she  held  in  her  hand 
at  him,  but  he  strode  away  still  laughing,  while  she 
was  trying  to  find  words  to  express  her  contempt 
for  Job  Smith  and  all  other  "  men  folks." 

Meanwhile  Abram  rode  swiftly  past  the  "  com- 
mon "  and  stopped  at  the  post-office  which  occupied 
one  side  of  a  brick  building,  the  other  side  being 
filled  with  "dry  goods,  groceries,  and  notions,"  be- 
longing to  Elijah  Green. 

Ira  Barstow  was  postmaster,  and,  being  deformed, 
he  had  been  continued  year  after  year  until  he 
seemed  an  essential  part  of  the  institution. 

When  he  saw  Abram  he  took  a  letter  and  some 
papers  from  his  box  and  handed  them  to  him,  re- 
marking as  he  did  so  that  there  "  was  quite  lively 
times  over  to  the  jedge's  office." 

"Yes,  I  think  I'll  go  and  see  the  judge  myself," 
said  Abram,  smiling  and  nodding  as  he  went  out. 


A   STRANGE   TEST.  53 

Mr.  Barstow  followed  him  as  far  as  the  front  win- 
dow, apparently  just  for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
strong,  cheery  fellow  on  his  way  to  the  "jedge's." 
Every  nerve  in  his  misshapen  body  tingled  with 
patriotism,  but  he  could  only  show  it  by  encourag- 
ing others  to  do  their  duty. 

Abram  was  about  to  slip  the  letter  in  his  pocket, 
but  observing  that,  although  it  came  from  Boston, 
the  superscription  was  not  in  Austin's  hand,  he 
tore  open  the  envelope,  and,  still  standing  on  the 
store-steps,  read  its  contents,  which  were  as  fol- 
lows : 

"Abram  Steele,  Esq. — 

"  Dear  Sir  :  Having  found  the  above  address  in 
the  room  formerly  occupied  by  Austin  Steele,  and 
supposing  it  to  be  his  father's,  we  use  it  at  this 
time.  We  are  under  the  painful  necessity  of  in- 
forming you  that  your  son,  after  being  in  our  em- 
ploy nearly  a  year,  has  been  guilty  of  theft,  and  has 
absconded  with  the  money  stolen,  probably  to  join 
the  army.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  ascertain  our 
losses,  but,  considering  your  son's  youth  and  the 
high  recommendations  which  he  brought,  referring 
in  the  highest  terms  to  yourself  and  family,  we  have 
decided  to  settle  the  matter  for  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, which  amount  you  will  please  remit  at  your 
earliest  convenience.     Your  obedient  servants, 

"  L.  Webber  &  Co." 

If  Abram  had  been  a  woman  he  probably  would 
have  fainted.  As  it  was,  he  grasped  the  railing  of 
the  platform  and  stood  for  a  moment  waiting  until 


54  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

his  surroundings  again  assumed  a  natural  appear- 
ance. 

The  postmaster,  still  watching  him,  felt  almost 
impatient  that  a  young  fellow  about  to  "volunteer" 
should  stand  there  "  so  numb  like  "  as  he  afterward 
said.  Poor  little  hunchback  !  He  need  not  have  en- 
vied Abram  his  size  or  strength  at  that  moment  of 
supreme  wretchedness.  "  He  aint  going  near  the 
recruiting  office.  What  in  Texas  does  that  mean?" 
said  he  to  himself  when,  a  little  later,  he  saw  Abram 
mount  Gypsy  and  ride  away  toward  home. 

But  Abram  had  no  idea  of  going  home  then. 
Instead,  he  rode  down  past  the  mills  and  then  on 
and  on  through  a  lonely  wooded  part  of  the  town. 
For  some  time  he  was  not  capable  of  connected 
thought ;  and  when  at  length  he  said  to  himself 
that  he  must  think,  he  must  plan,  he  dared  not 
admit  even  to  himself  how  he  felt  toward  his 
brother.  Anger,  unmeasured  and  unmitigated 
anger,  rose  in  his  soul;  but  as  one  shuts  his  lips 
tight  and  refuses  to  let  unrighteous  words  escape, 
so  one  sometimes  imprisons  dangerous  thoughts, 
shutting  them  away  from  even  his  own  investiga- 
tions. But  while  Abram  thus  turned  the  key  upon 
his  murderous  and  revengeful  thoughts  toward  his 
brother  there  were  others  which  took  very  definite 
form  ;  and  poor  Gypsy,  whose  coat  was  wet  with 
sweat,  was  allowed  to  walk  while  her  master's 
meditations  ran  on.  "  It  was  lucky  that  letter  didn't 
reach  father."  This  was  the  first  calming  considera- 
tion, and  it  weighed  much  with  Abram.  "  It  would 
have  just  about  killed  him.  And  he  mustn't  know 
it — nor  mother — nor  the  girls!     May  be  there's  an 


A  STRANGE   TEST.  55 

awful  mistake,  for  how  it  could  be  possible — "  and 
Gypsy  jumped  as  Abram's  hand  came  down  upon 
her  sensitive  flesh.  A  long  quivering  breath,  and 
he  said  aloud,  as  if  to  give  it  additional  force,  "  I 
must  keep  this  to  myself!  Nobody  must  know! 
But  how  can  I  ever  raise  a  thousand  dollars,  and 
how  can  I  enlist  with  this  burden  upon  me?" 

This  was  the  hardest  point  to  settle.  Austin 
was  gone.  If  he  went  there  would  be  no  one  to  care 
for  the  parents  and  to  raise  this  sum  of  money  which 
looked  so  very,  very  large.  But  if  Austin  could  be 
found  and  brought  back,  who  wanted  the  family 
disgraced  in  that  way?  Better  that  he  should  fall 
on  some  battle-field  and  sleep  in  an  unknown  grave 
than  that  he  should  blacken  the  name  that  had  so 
far  been  honest  and  honorable. 

Abram  turned  his  horse,  for  there  were  dark 
shadows  in  the  woods,  which  told  that  the  day  was 
almost  done.  His  head  felt  heavy,  his  brain  weary  ; 
but  one  thing  was  clear  ;  he  alone  must  bear  the 
burden  that  had  so  unexpectedly  fallen  upon  him, 
unless  and  until  that  dreadful  letter  could  be  ex- 
plained. This  decision  his  judgment  approved, 
even  while  he  felt  that  in  making  it  he  was  thrust- 
ing from  him  all  that  was  most  desirable  in  life. 
But  there  was  one  comforting  thought.  He  would 
go  to  Ruby  that  night  and  tell  her  as  much  as  he 
could  of  the  story,  and  she  would  understand  and 
sympathize  with  him  and  keep  his  secret  until  the 
mystery  could  be  explained  or  buried.  The  clove 
pinks  were  still  in  his  button-hole,  and  as  he  bent 
his  head  he  caught  their  perfume,  and  said  softly,  "  I 
can  bear  'most  any  thing  as  long  as  I  have  Ruby." 


56  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

At  that  moment  he  heard  the  sound  of  rapidly 
approaching  wheels,  and  the  next  met  Esquire 
Fletcher  and  John  Bartlett. 

They  stopped,  and  John  called  out  in  his  brisk 
way: 

"  Why,  Steele,  where  have  you  been  all  day  ? 
The  office  has  been  just  about  full.  Lots  of  the 
boys  are  going.     I  looked  for  you  among  the  first." 

"  Yes,"  added  Mr.  Fletcher,  "  I  heard  a  number 
inquiring  for  you,  and  understood  you  were  there 
at  one  time." 

"  No,"  said  Abram,  slowly,  "  I  haven't  been  in 
Judge  Plumley's  office  to-day.  I  expected  to  be, 
but  certain  things  came  up  that  have  changed  my 
plans,  and  I  find  I  can't  enlist  just  now  ;  I'm  sorry  ;  " 
and  he  concluded  with  a  smile  that  had  no  mirth 
in  it. 

Mr.  Fletcher  look  puzzled,  and  John  Bartlett 
smoothed  his  mustache  thoughtfully. 

"  Well,"  said  the  former,  "  I'm  surprised.  What 
in  the  world — ahem  !  I  hope  nothing  serious  has 
happened  ?  " 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Bartlett,  heartily.  "  I'm  disap- 
pointed. Well,  if  you  change  your  mind  let  me 
know  right  away,  will  you  ?  " 

Abram  bowed  and  the  gentlemen  drove  on,  leav- 
ing him  to  ride  toward  home  more  heavily  burdened 
than  before.  His  supper  was  waiting  for  him,  all 
the  others  having  eaten  at  the  usual  time ;  and 
Benjie  was  also  waiting,  full  of  interest  and  curios- 
ity. 

"Say,  Abram,  how  does  it  seem  to  be  enlisted? 
I   guess   you  was  tall  enough,   wasn't  you  ?     The 


A  STRANGE   TEST.  57 

Hickey  boys  stopped  a  minute,  but  they  hadn't 
happened  to  see  you.  You'd  have  thought  they'd 
been  to  the  county  fair,  they  was  so  pleased.  Did 
Don  Stanley  put  his  name  down?"  and  Benjie 
rolled  his  eyes  toward  Esther. 

"  I  don't  know,  Benjie,  whether  Don  enlisted  to- 
day or  not,  for  I  haven't  been  in  the  recruiting 
office  myself.  I  have  concluded  not  to  give  my 
name  just  yet." 

Benjie  gave  a  prolonged  "  Whew  !  "  while  Mr. 
Steele  laid  down  the  Tribune  and  looked  up  inquir- 
ingly. 

"  Did  you  say  you  had  decided  not  to  go?  "  he 
asked  ;  and  his  mother  and  sisters  waited  breath- 
lessly for  his  answer. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  that  was  what  I  said,  but  I  guess  you 
all  want  me  to  go  down  there  and  get  popped  over 
by  the  rebels,  you  look  so  solemn." 

"  No;  we  are  all  glad  to  have  you  here  as  long  as 
possible,  but  we  didn't  suppose  you  could  be  hired 
to  stay.     What  does  it  mean?" 

It  was  hard  to  face  the  anxious  family,  but  Abram 
had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  give  them  any  clew  at 
present  to  the  true  reason ;  so  he  answered  as  un- 
concernedly as  possible : 

"Well,  father,  I  wish  I  could  tell  you  all  about 
it,  but  I  can't — not  yet,  anyway.  But  don't  you 
feel  worried,  because  I'll  try  to  make  myself  useful 
here  on  the  farm." 

"  Yes,  but  Austin  could  do  a  great  deal.  He'll 
think  strange  when  you've  written  to  him  to  come 
home.  He  is  such  a  wide-awake,  plucky  fellow.  I 
wouldn't  a  mite  wonder  if  he  got  a  notion  to  go  him- 


58  THE  G 1 LEAD  GUARDS. 

self,  for  I  s'pose  he  hears  a  sight  of  brave  talk  in 
such  a  big  place  as  Boston." 

Abram  felt  actually  cold  with  the  effort  he  made 
to  appear  natural;  but  remarking  that  he  didn't  feel 
hungry,  and  that  he  had  to  be  away  a  while,  he  put 
on  his  hat  and  hurried  off,  glad  to  escape  further 
questioning  and  comment. 

His  ring  at  Esquire  Fletcher's  door  was  answered 
by  Martha  Thompson,  who  always  labored  under 
the  impression  that  she  should  open  the  door  upon 
a  peddler  or  a  book  agent,  and  had  a  stereotyped 
welcome  for  that  class  ;  but  when  she  saw  who  it 
was  she  added,  "  O,  step  in !  "  and  he  entered  the 
hall,  asking  if  Miss  Ruby  were  at  home. 

"  I  guess  so  ;  I'll  see,"  said  Martha,  nervously,  and 
she  hurried  into  the  sitting-room,  leaving  the  door 
ajar  behind  her.  A  moment  more  and  he  heard 
Ruby's  clear  tones: 

"  No,  I  wont  see  him.  If  he  can  change  his  mind 
so  quick,  I  guess  other  people  can  change  theirs." 

"  Ruby  !  Ruby  !  "  said  her  father. 

"  But  you  said  yourself  there  was  no  account- 
ing for  it.  I  just  wish  I  was  a  man,  and  I 
would — " 

Abram  did  not  wait  to  hear  what  she  would  do, 
but,  turning,  he  went  rapidly  and  silently  down  the 
stone  steps  into  the  darkness  of  desolation.  Not 
that  it  was  really  dark,  for  the  moon  was  just  ris- 
ing and  a  flood  of  clear  light  filled  the  world  with 
beauty,  but  Abram,  rushing  along  with  set  teeth 
and  clinched  hands,  was  not  in  a  mood  to  notice 
it.  The  experience  of  the  afternoon  had  seemed  all 
he  could  bear ;  but  that  trouble  was  like  a  burden 


A   STRANGE   TEST.  59 

upon  the  shoulders  compared  with  this  which 
pierced  his  heart. 

Abram  had  never  formulated  his  views  even  to 
himself,  but  he  had,  nevertheless,  a  modest  idea 
that  he  was  ready  to  face  "  the  world,  the  flesh,  and 
the  devil,"  ^nd  rout  them  without  the  least  diffi- 
culty ;  but  he  had  never  imagined  such  an  attack 
as  this.  It  struck  him  on  all  sides — his  ambition, 
reputation,  honor,  hope,  love.  He  felt  as  if  he 
had  been  shaken  and  stripped  of  them  all  and 
dropped  by  the  way-side  ! 

And  at  such  times  there  is  always  a  tempting 
spirit  near  laden  with  suggestions,  even  as,  many, 
many  years  ago,  Satan  himself  came  to  tempt  One 
who  was  alone  in  the  wilderness.  To  walk  on  and 
on,  and  put  miles  between  himself  and  the  old 
home  before  morning,  to  enlist  and  go  with  the 
company  and  leave  his  father  to  find  out  about 
Austin  at  his  leisure,  to  jump  into  the  river  which 
gurgled  near  between  banks  darkly  outlined  by 
masses  of  alders — all  these  temptations,  and  many 
another  vaguely  desperate  scheme,  came  and  seemed 
for  the  moment  like  open  doors  offering  him  a 
chance  to  escape. 

If  he  had  been  a  loosely  constructed,  unbelieving 
modern  theorist  he  would  probably  have  yielded  to 
one  or  another,  for  he  was  carried  quite  beyond 
himself  by  forces  he  could  not  understand  ;  but  the 
man  who  has  really  learned  to  obey  law  and  believe 
in  its  righteousness  hears  a  "  Thus  far  and  no  far- 
ther "  above  all  other  voices.  Any  one  who  has 
followed  in  summer-time  the  course  of  a  river  has 
noticed  once  and  again  high  bridges,  supported  by 


60  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

massive  buttresses,  spannirg  a  chasm  through  which, 
far  down  among  the  shadows,  glided  an  insignifi- 
cant stream.  To  a  careless  observer  stone  and  iron 
at  such  a  height  seem  quite  superfluous  ;  but  when 
in  early  spring  a  thousand  torrents  rush  into  the 
chasm  and  the  river  rises  foaming  to  its  highest 
shore,  threatening  to  overleap  all  barriers  and  sweep 
away  property  and  life,  then  is  seen  the  wisdom  of 
solid  walls  of  masonry,  of  buttress,  beam,  and  iron 
bolt.  Men  understand  the  possibilities  of  a  decep- 
tive little  river  and  guard  against  their  harmful 
tendencies.  God  understands  the  possibilities  of 
the  most  quiet  and  undemonstrative  life,  of  all  lives, 
in  fact,  and  arches  his  laws  strong  and  high  above 
them — laws  which  look  quite  superfluous  until  they 
are  needed,  but  which  always  prove  sufficiently 
strong  to  guard  and  restrain,  unless  willful  rebellion 
or  insanity  carries  one  beyond  all  restraints.  Abram 
did  not  think  of  these  things  until  long  after  that 
night.  He  simply  felt  then  as  though  he  were 
being  held,  and  he  said,  too,  that  a  quaint  couplet 
learned  years  before  from  an  old  almanac  recurred 
to  his  mind  with  persistent  force : 

"  When  all  the  blandishments  of  life  are  gone 
The  coward  sneaks  to  death,  the  brave  live  on." 

It  was  later — after  he  had  walked  miles,  after  the 
last  twinkling  light  in  solitary  farm-houses  had  dis- 
appeared, after  he  had  turned  his  face  toward  home 
determined  to  "  bear  all  things  and  endure  all 
things" — that  he  received  the  reward  of  obedience. 
His  training  in  religious  matters  had  certainly  been 
deficient,  for,  although  he  was  a  church  member 


A  STRANGE   TEST.  61 

and  quoted  as  an  example  of  integrity  and  positive 
goodness,  he  had  never  learned  to  think  of  his 
Elder  Brother  as  a  personal  friend.  So  now,  while 
he  had  yielded  to  law,  his  heart  was  still  empty  and 
cold  and  sorely  wounded,  and  he  felt  himself  pecul- 
iarly alone.  But  as  he  walked  along  the  silent 
country  road,  so  silent  that  the  murmurings  in  the 
trees  seemed  but  the  breathing  of  nature's  tiny 
children  asleep  in  nests  and  mossy  hollows,  he 
turned  half  around  with  a  feeling  that  some  one 
was  near.  There  was  no  visible  presence,  but  the 
strong  impression  still  remained  and  increased  until 
he  felt  that  beside  him  was  a  Friend  who  understood 
all  his  trials,  who  sympathized  with  him  per- 
fectly, and  imparted  a  strength  that  came  from  no 
"  arm  of  flesh ; "  and  his  heart,  now  filled  with 
wonder  and  gratitude,  recognized  in  that  sweet  un- 
expected companionship  the  blessed  presence  of  a 
divine  Comrade.  He  bowed  his  head  and  sank 
upon  his  knees,  accepting  as  never  before  his  Lord 
and  Master,  and  realizing  that  whatever  his  future 
might  be  he  had  a  Friend  who  would  be  to  him 
more  than  a  brother.  He  went  to  his  rest  that 
night  with  this  new-found  confidence  ;  and  never 
afterward  could  he  forget  how  over  the  strong  cold 
heights  of  law  came  love,  with  blessings  unmeas- 
ured, making  the  path  of  duty  bright  with  His 
sacred  footsteps. 


62  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A      PECULIAR      ANGEL. 

WITH  bird  twitterings  and  cock-crowings  and 
slow  unfolding  of  cloud  curtains  the  next 
morning  dawned.  In  a  leisurely  way  the  sun  crept 
up  over  the  eastern  hills,  as  if  to  give  time  for  yawn- 
ing and  a  backward  glance  into  dreamland  before 
it  sent  its  direct  beams  into  upper  windows.  Then 
smoke  began  to  curl  from  chimney-tops,  and  here 
and  there  sleepy  boys  made  their  way  to  the  yards 
where  cows  still  lay  ruminating.  The  cock-crowing 
continued  until  the  sun  was  fairly  "  up  ;"  for  chanti- 
cleer, like  some  more  enlightened  bipeds,  labors  un- 
der the  hallucination  that  his  crowing  in  some  way 
sets  the  machinery  of  the  world  in  motion,  and  hence 
he  spares  neither  breath  nor  voice  until  he  has 
brought  the  great  luminary  above  the  horizon.  This 
duty  done,  he  was  ready  to  descend  to  a  fierce  con- 
test over  corn  and  crumbs,  his  greedy  clamoring 
scarcely  surpassed  by  the  pigs,  whose  starving  con- 
dition was  indicated  by  uncompromising  grunts  and 
squeals,  checked  only  by  generous  pails  of  bonny- 
clabber  and  meal-mush.  The  lowing  cows  were 
finally  released  to  find  their  way  to  green  hill  past- 
ures, while  brimming  pails  of  milk  were  carried  to 
cool  clean  dairies  or  "  set  "  for  cheese.  The  horses 
were  watered  and  given  their  allowance  of  oats,  and 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  63 

then,  when  all  the  "  chores  "  were  done,  the  farmers 
themselves  were  ready  to  breakfast. 

At  Mr.  Steele's  table  that  morning  there  was  a 
visible  restraint.  Benjie  in  a  cajoling  tone  had 
begged  Abram  to  tell  him  "  what  the  matter  was  " 
an  hour  before,  and,  not  receiving  any  satisfactory 
answer,  was  in  a  decidedly  sullen  mood,  and  the  en- 
tire family  were  sober  and  anxious.  Abram  rather 
hoped  some  question  would  be  asked  that  would 
give  him  an  opportunity  to  repeat  what  he  had  said 
the  night  before  in  a  different  way  ;  for  he  felt  as 
if  he  was  suspected  of  some  plot,  or  at  least  of 
insincerity.  He  did  not  have  the  true  idea,  how- 
ever, as  he  soon  discovered  ;  for  before  he  could  leave 
the  house  his  mother  asked  him  to  step  into  the  parlor 
a  moment,  and  when  they  were  alone  in  the  dark 
room  and  the  door  closed  she  turned  toward  him 
pleadingly. 

"  Now,  Abram,"  said  she,  "  tell  me  just  what  the 
trouble  is.  Is  it  your  heart  ?  Your  Uncle  Abram 
died  of  heart  disease,  but  I  never  thought  it  would 
follow  the  family.  And  there  was  your  Grand- 
mother Austin,  she  died  of  old-fashioned  consump- 
tion. Is  it  your  lungs,  Abram  ?  Tell  me  the  worst, 
and  we  will  see  what  can  be  done." 

Abram  began  to  laugh  ;  but  as  he  realized  how 
his  faithful,  loving  mother  must  be  suffering,  his  eyes 
filled  and  he  put  his  hand  tenderly  upon  her  shoul- 
der. 

"  My  lungs  and  heart  are  all  right,  mother,  I  firmly 
believe,"  said  he.  "And  more  than  that,  I  haven't 
done  any  thing  disgraceful ;  but  something  has  hap- 
pened to  a  friend  of  mine  that  will  prevent  my  plans 


64  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

being  carried  out.  Now,  if  you  will  trust  me  and 
keep  still,  mother,  it  will  be  worth  every  thing  to  me 
just  now." 

Of  course  she  promised,  and  sealed  it  with  a  kiss  ; 
but  also  of  course,  she  was  not  really  satisfied.  She 
warned  the  children,  however,  to  ask  no  questions, 
for  their  brother  was  all  right,  and  she  was  only  too 
thankful  he  could  make  up  his  mind  to  stay 
at  home. 

All  this  did  not  satisfy  Benjie,  and  he  grew  furious 
over  this  first  family  mystery. 

"  I  declare  !  "  said  he,  pacing  back  and  forth, 
his  cheeks  red,  his  eyes  wet,  "  I  didn't  s'pose  any 
of  our  folks  would  show  the  white  feather.  Might 
as  well  be  a  skedaddler  and  done  with  it.  Might  as 
well  be  a  copperhead.  Guess  you  wouldn't  catch 
me  backin'  out.  Keep  the  war  goin'  a  few  years 
longer,  sir,  and  you'll  see  a  feller  go  out  of  this  house 
that  aint  afraid  of  gunpowder." 

"  O,  now,  Benjie,"  expostulated  Esther,  "you 
can  talk,  but  you  don't  know  how  it  might  seem 
when  the  time  come.  I  think  whatever  keeps 
Abram  at  home  is  something  that  makes  him  feel 
bad  enough." 

"  Feel  bad  enough !  "  cried  Benjie,  wrathfully, 
"  he  better  feel  bad.  He's  disgraced  me.  I'll  have 
to  dodge  the  boys  for  fear  they'll  ask  questions,  and 
I  just  can't  bear  it ;  "  and  the  poor  boy  strode  away 
pulling  his  hat  over  his  eyes  and  kicking  every 
thing  that  happened  to  be  in  his  wa)'. 

Meanwhile  Abram  was  in  his  room  trying  to 
think  how  he  could  secure  the  money  to  send  the 
avenger,  "  L.  Webber  &  Co." 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  65 

No  one  unfamiliar  with  farming  communities  can 
readily  understand  how  large  this  sum  appeared. 
People  are  comfortable,  even  opulent,  with  their 
farms  paid  for  and  the  ready  money  that  comes 
from  harvest  sales  ;  and  when  in  the  course  of  years 
their  surplus  funds  accumulate  in  a  bank  they  are 
not  in  the  habit  of  withdrawing  them  without  very 
good  reasons  for  doing  so.  To  lend  a  thousand 
dollars  without  ample  security  would  indicate  that 
a  man  was  in  his  dotage.  Abram  had  two  or  three 
uncles  who  were  "forehanded"  living  within  a  ra- 
dius of  ten  miles  ;  but  as  he  thought  of  them  indi- 
vidually and  collectively  he  shook  his  head.  The 
inquisitional  process  through  which  a  person  must 
pass  before  he  got  money  of  Uncle  Rufus  or  Uncle 
Ira  or  Uncle  Mont  was  enough  to  make  him  pre- 
fer a  place  of  torture  nearer  home.  He  had  good 
friends  at  the  village,  but  most  of  them  whom  he 
could  trust  were  young  men  like  Dr.  Adams,  Judson 
Plumley,  and  Lawyer  Parker,  who  had  not  reached 
that  period  in  life  when  they  could  put  as  many 
ciphers  after  a  unit  as  this  case  demanded.  At  last, 
after  taking  the  financial  census  of  Gilead,  he  hap- 
pened to  think  of  Miss  Hancock,  and  with  a  feel- 
ing of  relief  decided  to  go  to  her  for  at  least  a  part 
of  the  needed  amount,  To  be  sure,  she  was  a 
woman,  and  Abram  had  heard  the  old  tradition 
that  a  woman  could  not  be  trusted  with  a  secret ; 
but  he  argued  that  as  she  was  in  most  respects  su- 
perior to  her  sex  so  she  must  be  in  this ;  and  he 
was  soon  on  Gypsy's  back  riding  toward  her  little 
home.     To  his  great  disappointment  the  curtains 

were  drawn  and  the  door  was  locked.     The  minis- 
5 


66  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

ter's  wife  saw  Abrarn,  and  leaned  out  of  her  window 
to  tell  him  that  Miss  Hancock  had  gone  to  see  a 
sick  person,  and  would  probably  be  away  several 
days.  Riding  slowly  homeward,  quite  perplexed, 
in  spite  of  the  peace  which  he  still  retained  in  his 
heart,  he  reached  the  outer  edge  of  Esquire  Fletch- 
er's farm,  where  the  orchard  was,  and  heard  the 
musical  ring  of  a  whetted  scythe.  A  sudden  thought 
inspired  him,  and,  jumping  off  his  horse,  he  fastened 
her  to  a  tree,  leaped  over  the  fence,  and  made  his 
way  toward  Hiel  Saunders,  who,  he  very  well  knew, 
was  preparing  to  mow  the  orchard. 

"  Good-morning,  Hiel ;  how  do  you  do  ?  "  said  he, 
as  he  reached  the  spot  where  that  worthy  stood 
gazing  meditatively  up  into  an  apple-tree,  while  his 
whetstone  with  a  merry  "ching!  clang!  ching !  " 
played  mechanically  up  and  down  the  sharp-edged 
scythe. 

"  O,  mornin' !  "  answered  Hiel,  observing  his  vis- 
itor ;  "  I'm  so's  to  be  crawlin',  thank  ye.  How  be 
yeou  ?  Hot  day  to  work  in  the  sun,  but  jest  right 
here,  shady  and  cool's  a  cowcumber.  I  was  jest 
watchin'  them  little  birds  up  in  the  tree,  'n'  thinkin' 
how  odd  it  seems  to  mow  with  a  scythe  after  using 
a  machine.  I  do'  know  how  we  ever  got  along 
without  'em,  I'm  sure.  But  the  machines  makes  it 
easier  to  spare  the  boys  that's  goin'  to  war.  One 
man  c'n  du  what  six  use'  ter.  That's  right,  set 
deown.  Stuns  aint  quite  so  easy  as  sofies,  but 
they'll  du."  j  Hiel  hung  his  scythe  upon  a  limb  of 
the  apple-tree  and  seated  himself  on  a  rock  con- 
veniently near  Abram.  "  Seems  to  me  I  hearn  the 
squire  sayin'  you'd  about  give  up  'listin' ;  "  and  Hiel 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  67 

plucked  a  long  grass  spear  and  measured  it  with 
his  outstretched  hand  as  innocently  as  though  he 
and  Martha  Thompson  had  not  discussed  the  whole 
matter  pro  and  con  the  previous  evening. 

"Yes,"  said  Abram,  "and  that  is  just  what  I 
want  to  talk  about,  Hiel;  "  and  Abram  looked  with 
anxious  eyes  into  his  homely,  honest  face.  "'  Have 
you  money  that  you're  not  using  that  you  would  be 
willing  to  lend?" 

"  Wal,  I've  got  quite  a  little  money  saved  up;" 
and  Hiel  chewed  the  juicy  stalk  and  looked  into 
the  grass  at  his  feet,  wondering  what  was  coming 
next. 

"  And  if  I  tell  you  why  I  can't  enlist  and  why  I 
need  money  will  you  keep  my  secret  ?  " 

"  I  reckon.  Fire  away  !  "  and  Hiel  leaned  back  in 
a  listening  attitude.  And  then  Abram  told  the  whole 
story,  only  he  could  not  bear  to  say  that  the  money 
had  been  stolen.  It  was  a  debt  that  Austin  had  in- 
curred and  left  when  he  ran  away  to  enlist.  "  And 
now,  Hiel,"  said  he,  appealingly,  "  if  you  can  lend 
me  the  money  to  pay  that  debt  you  know  you  will 
get  it  again  with  interest  if  I  live.  I  can't  give  you 
security  on  the  farm,  for  I  own  only  an  undivided 
share,  but  as  soon  as  I  get  a  good  offer  for  Gypsy  I 
can  sell  her,  and  some  of  the  other  stock  is  mine. 
I  think  my  Cotswold  sheep  would  bring  a  big  price 
by  and  by,  but  just  now  I  could  only  give  my 
note." 

Hiel  had  wiped  his  eyes  several  times  while 
Abram  was  talking,  and  after  giving  them  a  final 
polish  on  his  shirt-sleeve  he  straightened  himself 
and  drew  a  long  breath. 


68  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Keep  yer  critters,  Abram ;  I  don't  want  no  se- 
curity, 'nd  I  don't  care  nothin'  about  yer  note.  Do 
as  ye  please  about  that.  I'll  let  ye  have  the  money 
'cause  ye  need  it.  I  did  hev'  a  notion  to  spec'late 
with  about  that  much.  Brown,  son-in-law  of  Slo- 
cum,  over  there  by  your  place,  says  there's  goin'  to 
be  lots  of  money  in  the  wool  business  ;  so  many 
soldier-clothes  and  army  blankets,  you  know.  But 
may  be  I'd  lose  it  all.  'T  any  rate  I  ruther  you'd 
hev'  it,  'nd  I  hope  tu  gracious  it  '11  settle  up  the 
business  thet's  plaguin'  of  ye." 

Abram  was  so  full  of  gratitude  that  he  could 
hardly  find  voice  to  express  it. 

"  I  shall  have  a  feeling  that  this  is  sacred  money, 
Hiel.  It  seems  to  me  it  has  come  right  down  from 
heaven  by  the  hands  of  an  angel." 

Hiel's  big  mouth  drew  up  at  the  corners  until  it 
resembled  a  half  moon,  while  his  eyes  twinkled 
through  reefs  of  wrinkles. 

"A  ruther pe-cn-liar  angel,"  he  drawled,  wonder- 
fully pleased,  however,  with  the  compliment. 
"  Guess  likely  you're  thinkin'  of  them  riggers  on 
old  grave-stones.  Ever  see  any  ?  I  used  to  see 
lots  of  'em  down  to  Sandown.  That's  an  awful  old 
teown,  'n'  these  dark-colored  stuns  's  all  over  the 
grave-yard.  And  them  Aggers  has  wings  hitched 
on  to  'em,  but  their  faces  aint  like  pictur'-angels, 
not  by  no  means.  I  hearn  two  young  fellows  dis- 
putin'  one  day  about  it.  They  was  chock  full  of 
learnin',  'n'  used  lots  of  big  words,  but  the  upshot  of 
it  wuz,  one  of  'em  thought  the  figger  wuz  an  angel, 
'nd  t'other  thought  'twas  one  of  them  things  that 
flies  up  from  t'other  place,  a-representin'  death  'n' 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  69 

the  terrors  of  the  tomb.  I  says  to  'em,  says  I, 
'  You  can't  decide  that ;  but  I  tell  ye  what  I  think 
of  the  man  that  made  the  things.  He  no  business 
to  leave  such  a  doubtful  figger.  An  angel  orter 
look  better  'n  that,  'n'  t'other  kind  worse.  But 
moreover,'  says  I,  '  it  makes  me  think  of  some  folks 
I've  seen.  These  wipsy-wopsy  people  that  you 
can't  tell  whuther  they're  good  or  whuther  they're 
bad.  They  leave  a  puzzle  for  comin'  generations  to 
work  over.'  Says  I,  '  Let's  see  tu  it  that  we  don't 
make  folks  wonder  whuther  we're  angels  or  figgers 
from  t'other  places.'  " 

"  Why,  Hiel,"  said  Abram,  laughing  in  spite  of 
himself,  "  I  never  knew  you  were  an  exhorter  before, 
but  you  certainly  told  them  the  truth." 

"  I'm  no  exhorter,  Abram,  'n'  squire's  wife  thinks 
I  orter  go  to  meetin'  more,  'n'  jine  the  church,  'n' 
I  s'pose  I  had  ;  but  you  see  I  hearn  one  of  them 
young  fellers  swear  a  profane  oath,  'nd  when  things 
come  to  thet  pass  I'm  on  the  side  of  Him  that  writ 
the  third  commandment.  Yes,  sir!  I  hate  to  see 
young  fellers  thet's  had  advantages  piled  mountain 
high,  as  ye  might  say,  spilin'  themselves  for  this 
world  'n'  the  one  tu  come.     Yes,  I  du." 

Abram  rose,  thinking  that  Hiel  might  be  hin- 
dered by  his  long  call,  and  made  one  more  effort  to 
express  his  gratitude.  "  I  must  ride  on  now,  or 
you  wont  get  the  orchard  mowed  to-day.  I  don't 
know  how  to  thank  you,*  but  I  shall  never,  never 
forget  your  kindness  to  me." 

"  Wal,  never's  a  long  word,  but  I  aint  afraid.  I 
always  thought  an  awful  sight  of  yeou,  'nd  I'm  glad 
to  du  you  a  favor.    I'll  be  tu  the  bank  at  six  o'clock ; 


70  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

no,  half  past  three,  aint  it  ?  Likely  yeou  want  that 
filthy  lucre  soon  's  convenient ; "  and  Hiel  took 
down  his  scythe  and  passed  his  finger  along  the 
shining  blade. 

"Yes,"  said  Abram,  "  I'll  be  there  ;  "  and  he  hur- 
ried away  through  the  trees. 

After  his  departure  Hiel  stood  looking  after  him 
with  an  expression  of  real  concern. 

"  Wal,  neovv,"  he  mused,  "  what's  the  dictionary 
meanin'  of  this?  There's  a  figger  fer  a  brigadier- 
gineral,  and  as  good  a  boy  as  wuz  ever  raised  in 
Gilead ;  'n'  neow  he's  got  tu  give  up  all  his  plans, 
'n'  saddle  this  big  debt,  'n'  be  throwed  over  by  his 
girl.  Ruby  don't  know  nothin'  or  she'd  never  be- 
lieve he's  a  coward.  Women  is  fools  anyway — 
most  of  'em." 

This  possible  exception  was  added  after  an  in- 
stant's thought,  for  Hiel  desired  above  all  things  to 
be  just. 

"  I'd  like  to  wallop  that  young  Austin.  No  busi- 
ness tu  get  in  debt  'n'  make  Abram  all  this  trouble. 
I'm  glad  I  got  money  tu  lend.  I  don't  care  if  I 
could  get  ten  per  cent,  in  wool  spec'lation.  I  guess 
I've  a  right  to  help  a  feller  thet's  in  trouble  !  " 

This  last  was  spoken  rather  fiercely,  as  if  some 
imp  of  evil  had  suggested  the  loss  of  that  fabulous 
percentage  ;  and  Hiel  vigorously  attacked  the  rasp- 
berry shoots  and  Canada  thistles  which  grew  rankly 
among  the  stones. 

Hiel  Saunders  would  have  delighted  the  soul  of 
an  artist  in  search  of  a  traditional  Yankee  or  of  a 
litterateur  anxious  to  preserve  a  dialect  indigenous 
to   and    originating  in    New    England    soil,    which 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  71 

has  had  few  interpreters,  and  is  rapidly  disap- 
pearing. 

He  was  lean  and  wiry,  his  face  wore  a  shrewd, 
good-natured,  interrogatory  expression,  his  hair  was 
light-colored  and  "  stubbly,"  his  pantaloons  and 
coat-sleeves  were  invariably  too  short,  and  his 
vocabulary  was  in  a  loose,  chaotic  state  to  which  his 
nasal  twang  was  nicely  adapted.  In  his  every-day 
garb  he  was  comparatively  at  ease,  and  "  conversa- 
tion "  was  a  delightful  pastime.  Indeed,  Martha 
Thompson  said  there  was  "  no  end  to  his  gab." 
But  in  his  best  clothes  he  was  wretched ;  and  great 
indeed  must  be  the  social  obligations  which  should 
force  him  into  them.  Under  such  circumstances 
he  became  conversationally  bankrupt,  and  speech 
clung  and  tripped  on  familiar  words  like  a  plow  in 
a  pasture  where  old  snags  and  roots  impede  its 
progress. 

And  yet  Hiel,  in  spite  of  his  peculiarities,  was 
very  sensitive  regarding  literary  and  pictorial  repre- 
sentations of  the  Yankees,  and  had  he  been  told 
that  he  resembled  one  of  those  creations  of  fancy 
he  would  have  felt  afflicted. 

"  Neow  tu  think,"  said  he  to  Martha  Thompson, 
as  he  leaned  over  a  copy  of  Harper  s  Weekly,  which 
had  upon  its  last  page  an  artistic  "  Uncle  Sam," 
"  that  picture-man  tries  to  make  folks  b'lieve 
Northerners  look  like  that  scalawag.  It  makes 
me  hoppin'  mad,  an'  I'd  like  tu  tell  him  he's  a 
perfick  sap-head." 

Martha  eyed  Hiel  a  moment,  and  said  in  her 
crisp  way, 

"You  better  do  it,  Hiel;  I  think  he'd  be  amused." 


72  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

But  while  there  was  a  resemblance  that  even 
Martha  noticed,  one's  ideas  of  a  Yankee  character 
ought  not  to  be  derived  wholly  from  such  pictures, 
nor  from  the  eccentric  dialect  as  given  by  ordinary 
authors.  Under  all  the  contractions  and  elisions 
and  strange  constructions  there  is  often  a  surprising 
amount  of  general  intelligence  ;  and  when  words 
are  spoken  with  earnestness  one  learns  to  look  at 
their  tattered  condition  with  a  certain  charity. 

So  our  friend  Hiel,  who  stands  out  against  the 
horizon  of  the  past,  already  referred  to  as  particu- 
larly "  odd,"  was,  nevertheless,  much  respected  in 
Gilead,  which  had  its  complement  of  other  oddities 
and  quite  as  much  localism  as  was  good  for  it. 

When  Hiel  strode  over  to  the  bank  at  the  ap- 
pointed time,  clad  in  his  blue  "  frock  "  and  sheep's- 
gray  pantaloons,  which  did  not  by  any  means  trail 
in  the  dust,  and  called  for  a  thousand  dollars  of  his 
invested  funds,  the  cashier,  Mr.  Akers,  was  very 
deferential,  and,  as  he  knew  Hiel  was  about  to  in- 
vest in  wool,  he  made  no  remarks,  only  to  wish  him 
"  many  returns  of  the  same  ;  "  and  Hiel  winked  at 
Abram  as  though  it  were  a  good  joke. 

"  I  pulled  the  wool  over  his  eyes,"  said  he,  as 
soon  as  they  were  fairly  outside. 

Abram  took  his  letter,  written  as  if  he  were 
Austin's  father,  with  the  check  inclosed,  to  the 
Center,  that  it  might  not  pass  under  the  close 
scrutiny  of  the  village  postmaster.  Just  before 
leaving  Hiel  he  said  to  him  : 

"  If  you  ever  need  a  friend  I'm  yours,  soul  and 
body,  because  of  what  you  have  done  for  me  to- 
day." 


A  PECULIAR  ANGEL.  73 

And  Hiel  went  back  to  his  work  snapping  his 
fingers  and  smiling  like  a  millionaire  who  has  just 
endowed  a  college.  No,  not  like  ;  for  the  million- 
aire knows  that  his  beneficence  will  be  heralded  far 
and  wide,  while  Hiel  was  only  half  conscious  that 
he  had  slain  the  love  of  gain,  mowed  it  down,  so  to 
speak,  and  wholly  conscious  that  he  had  served  a 
friend. 

"  Jewhitiker!"  said  he,  as  he  spat  upon  his  hands 
and  seized  his  scythe,  4<  didn't  I  pull  the  wool  over 
the  cashier's  eyes  ?  " 


THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SUNDAY  NOON. 

MARTHA  THOMPSON  hired  a  "  sitting"  in 
Miss  Hancock's  pew,  and  on  the  Sabbath 
following  the  events  just  narrated  she  sat  as  usual 
in  her  accustomed  place,  very  erect  and  very  quiet, 
evidently  listening  attentively  to  the  sermon.  But 
Miss  Hancock  was  aware,  through  some  marvelous 
intuition  which  almost  constituted  her  a  "  mind- 
reader,"  that  Martha  was  troubled  about  something, 
and  was  not  following  the  minister's  eloquent  de- 
scription of  Belshazzar's  feast. 

And  she  fully  sympathized  with  Martha's  way- 
ward thoughts,  although  her  lack  of  devout  attention 
was  caused  by  the  minister  himself.  Miss  Hancock 
was  one  of  those  unreasonable  women  who  have 
existed  in  all  ages,  who  sometimes  forget  the  lim- 
itations of  sex  and  long  to  do  what  evidently  ought 
to  be  done  by  somebody.  So  this  bright  Sabbath 
morning  she  was  wishing  she  could  remand  J.  Har- 
mon Phelps  and  Belshazzar  to  some  other  clime, 
and  stand  there  herself  and  talk  to  the  dear  boys 
who  were  so  soon  to  leave  their  home  and  church 
influences  perhaps  forever.  There  was  so  much 
practical  wisdom  in  God's  great  store-house,  so 
much  sweetness  and  consolation,  so  many  strong, 
encouraging  words  just  adapted  to  present  circum- 


SUNDA  Y  NOON.  75 

stances,  that  it  seemed  a  pity  to  waste  time  over  the 
decorations  of  a  heathen  palace.  Miss  Hancock 
found  herself  in  the  midst  of  a  fervent  imaginary 
discourse  which  brought  a  bright  color  to  her  cheeks 
and  tears  to  her  eyes  when  the  closing  "  amen " 
sounded  from  the  pulpit ;  and  she  came  to  herself 
with  a  start,  thankful  that  her  neighbors  had  no 
suspicion  that  she  had  been  so  moved  and  edified 
by  her  own  "  prophesyings."  Under  these  circum- 
stances she  was  not  surprised  when  Martha  whis- 
pered to  her,  behind  her  palm-leaf  fan,  that  if  it 
was  agreeable  she  would  walk  home  with  her  after 
Sabbath-school.  So,  after  Miss  Hancock  had  taught 
her  class  of  young  men,  throwing  into  the  lesson 
all  the  pent-up  enthusiasm  of  the  morning,  and 
Martha  had  faithfully  followed  the  lesson  as  taught 
by  the  minister  in  the  Bible-class,  the  two  women 
walked  sedately  down  the  street  to  the  little  white 
house  next  door  to  the  parsonage.  Martha  Thomp- 
son was  one  of  those  rare  New  England  "girls" 
who  "  lived  out,"  laid  up  money,  accumulated  wis-^ 
dom,  cherished  her  independence,  and  enjoyed  the 
respect  and  friendship  of  those  who  knew  her  best. 
That  this  number  of  friends  was  not  larger  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  Martha  measured  people  with  a  jealous 
eye.  That  church  member  who  looked  down  upon 
her  because  she  did  the  work  in  Esquire  Fletcher's 
kitchen  found  her  as  rigid  as  a  marble  statue  when, 
on  some  social  occasion,  it  became  convenient  to 
approach  her  in  a  familiar  way.  Not  that  Martha 
was  tart  or  saucy — she  was  simply  unapproachable. 
But  those  who  recognized  her  worth  when  she 
was  flying  around  in  her   scant,  plain,  every-day 


76  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  gownds,"  as  she  called  her  work-dresses,  found  her 
gracious  and  ready  to  assist  any  good  cause.  This 
angularity  of  disposition  gave  Martha  a  certain  ad- 
vantage, intrenching  her,  so  to  speak,  in  her  own 
garrison,  which  she  took  care  to  keep  well  provis- 
ioned. Mrs.  Fletcher  understood  her  handmaiden 
so  well  that  there  was  seldom  any  friction  between 
them.  Ruby,  too,  had  learned  her  "  limitations," 
and  found  it  wise  to  consult  Martha  before  interfer- 
ing in  any  way  with  the  domestic  system  which 
revolved  around  her.  Hiel  Saunders  was  less  sub- 
missive, but  even  he  had  learned  new  lessons  in 
caution  whenever  he  had  failed  to  fill  the  wood-box 
or  ventured  upon  her  clean  kitchen  floor  with 
muddy  boots.  Hiel  was  one  of  her  crosses,  but 
he  consoled  her  by  declaring  that  without  him  she 
would  forget  how  to  exercise  moral  suasion.  Her 
very  attitude,  as  she  stood  upon  the  door-steps  and 
pointed  out  a  loosened  clapboard  on  Miss  Han- 
cock's little  cottage,  proclaimed  her  practical  turn 
of  mind. 

"  You  better  have  that  nailed  right  on,"  said  she, 
tapping  it  with  her  parasol.  "  I  would,  fer  one  of 
these  nights  there'll  come  a  high  wind  and  that'll  go 
1  flap,  flap,  flap,'  and  you  can't  sleep  a  wink." 

"  I  hadn't  noticed  it.  Yes,  I  must  have  it  fixed," 
assented  Miss  Hancock,  as  she  ushered  Martha  into 
her  cozy  sitting-room.  "  Now,  take  off  your  bonnet 
and  rest  your  head,"  said  she,  adding,  as  she  re- 
ceived it,  "  Your  straw  whitened  beautifully,  Mar- 
tha. It  looks  like  a  new  bonnet ;  and  as  for  your 
shawl,  I  must  say  it's  a  beauty." 

The  owner  of  the  new  "  cashmere  "  looked  well 


SUNDA  Y  NOON.  77 

pleased,  and  remarked,  as  she  carefully  folded  it  in 
its  original  creases  : 

"Yes,  I  think  so.  I  did  think  of  gettin'  a  stella 
shawl.  They're  thinner  and  more  suited  to  warm 
weather ;  but  squire's  wife  said  it  wouldn't  always  be 
good  like  a  cashmere.  I  have  to  work  too  hard  for 
my  money  to  throw  it  away  when  I  do  get  it,  and 
they  say  some  of  the  Stellas  fade  in  the  sun." 

"They  do,"  assented  Miss  Hancock.  "My 
cousin  in  Boston  bought  a  nice  green  stella  last 
summer,  and  it  faded  so  she  had  it  colored  black  and 
gave  it  to  her  mother;  but  when  people  can't  afford 
to  give  away  things  they  don't  like,  why,  they  must 
buy  the  best  in  the  first  place." 

By  this  time  Martha  had  spread  her  handkerchief 
over  her  lap  and  produced  a  little  package  of  cara- 
way cookies  and  cheese,  her  usual  Sunday  lunch, 
and  a  little  later  Miss  Hancock  seated  herself  in  a 
neighboring  rocking-chair  with  a  small  bowl  of 
cracker  and  milk.  Then,  as  she  expected,  Martha 
revealed  her  errand. 

"  You  know,  I  s'pose,  that  our  Ruby's  turned 
Abram  Steele  off  because  he  didn't  'list." 

"  I  heard  so,  but  you  can't  believe  rumors  always, 
and  I  hadn't  thought  of  it  again,"  said  Miss  Han- 
cock. 

"  Well,  it's  true,  and  Ruby's  such  a  little  goose 
she  wont  budge  an  inch.  She's  clear  Fletcher — 
just  as  set  in  her  way  as  her  father  is  ;  but  notwith- 
standing she  can't  deceive  me.  She  don't  have  no 
appetite,  and  she  keeps  sitliing  every  five  minutes." 

Here  Martha's  feelings  threatened  to  interfere 
with  her  speech,  and  she  paused  to  shake  her  head — 


78  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

a  little  gesture  with  which  she  always  reproved  any 
"softness,"  and  then  resumed. 

"  I  think  a  good  deal  of  Abram,  'nd  he's  no 
coward,  I  tell  you.  Hiel  says  he's  all  right,  'nd 
while  Hiel  aint  so  bright  as  some  he's  ready  to  stake 
his  life  on  that.  Ruby's  pretty  high-strung,  'nd  of 
course  she  thought  strange  that  Abram  should  back 
out  after  they  was  engaged,  when  he  was  so  eager 
to  go.  But  I  says  to  her,  '  Now,  Ruby,  give  him  a 
chance  to  explain.  You  may  be  sure  he's  got  a  good 
reason.'  But  no ;  she  just  stamped  her  foot  down 
and  threw  up  her  head,  and  off  she  went.  So  that's 
the  way  we're  livin'  to  the  squire's,  'nd  I  do  wish 
you'd  come  in  and  see  if  you  can't  help  straighten 
things  out.  They  all  think  a  sight  of  your  judg- 
ment." 

Miss  Hancock  had  listened  very  attentively  while 
Martha  was  speaking,  just  as  she  always  listened 
when  people  told  her  their  troubles ;  and  after  a 
moment's  silence  she  said  : 

"  I'm  sorry  for  Ruby.  I'm  sorry  for  Abram  too  ; 
but,  Martha,  what  could  have  changed  his  mind  so 
suddenly?  If  it  had  been  any  other — why,  Martha, 
I  have  had  Abram  Steele  in  my  class  ever  since  he 
was  a  little  boy,  and  I  never  knew  him  to  do  a  wrong 
act.  Not  one !  and  it  wasn't  because  he  didn't 
know  how  to,  but  he  always  seemed  to  choose  to  do 
right ;  and  I  have  felt  so  tried  with  him  since  this 
— well,  fickleness,  I  have  called  it — that  I  was  al- 
most glad  to  hear  the  gossip  about  Ruby's  rejecting 
him.  But  I  can't  bring  myself  to  blame  him  as  the 
men  do,  and  I  think  there  must  be  some  reason 
back  of  it  all  if  we  could  know  the  truth.     Mean- 


SUNDA  Y  NOON.  79 

while  I'll  drop  in  some  day  soon  and  see  if  I  can 
help  any.  Ruby's  never  had  much  discipline,  and 
she  needs  it — we  all  need  it ;  "  and  Miss  Hancock 
rocked  gently  back  and  forth,  evidently  recalling 
her  own  pupilage  under  that  impartial  Master  who 
gives  what  we  need,  not  always  what  we  want. 

"  I  s'pose  we  do,"  said  Martha,  grimly,  "  'nd  I 
b'lieve  in  taking  what's  sent:  but  lots  of  our  troub- 
le's home-made,  after  all." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Miss  Hancock,  cheerily, 
"  and  I  guess  I've  manufactured  a  little  in  this  case. 
But  you  see  I  love  Abram  so  well  that  I  can't  bear 
to  have  him  even  suspected  of  any  thing  that  isn't 
just  right,  and  the  rest  of  the  boys  are  feeling  bitter 
toward  him  and  coming  to  me  to  talk  about  it,  and 
yet  he  doesn't  say  one  word.  I  confess  I  have  felt 
hurt;  but  probably  he  will  explain  it  all  very  soon. 
You  see,  Martha,  just  how  selfish  I  am.  But  there's 
another  reason.  I'm  getting  so  wrought  up  over 
this  war  that  I  can't  understand  how  any  man  can 
stay  at  home.  My  heart  is  so  full  of  it  that  some 
nights  it  seems  as  if  it  would  surely  break  when  I 
think  of  the  awful  sin  that  brought  it  on  and  the 
woe  that  comes  with  it.  I  didn't  feel  so  at  first,  but 
it  has  grown  upon  me  till  some  nights  I  can't  sleep 
for  thinking  of  battle-fields  and  wounded  soldiers 
and  hospitals,  with  scores  and  hundreds  of  sick  ones 
lying  there  with  none  of  their  friends  to  take  care  of 
them.  And  then  I  think  of  the  widows  and  orphans 
until  I  groan  in  spirit  and  beg  the  Lord  to  let  me 
do  something  to  hasten  the  end." 

Martha  listened  with  a  sort  of  awe,  her  eyes  fixed 
upon   Miss  Hancock's   slender  fingers,  which  were 


80  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

twisted  tightly  together  as  if  to  help  repress  the 
emotion  that  her  words  but  feebly  embodied. 

"Well,  now,"  said  she,  perfectly  aware  that  she 
had  no  language  to  express  what  she  really  wished 
she  could,  "  I  didn't  s'pose  you  ever  got  low-spirited 
like  that  over  any  thing.  You  never  seem  given  up 
to  doubts  and  glooms  like  most  folks." 

The  spell  was  broken,  and  Miss  Hancock's  hands 
folded  themselves  softly  together. 

"  Never  in  the  day-time  when  I'm  needed,  and 
never  about  my  own  affairs.  I  just  count  myself 
among  God's  little  sparrows,  and  take  it  for  granted 
that  I'll  always  have  my  twig  to  hold  on  to.  But 
this  is  different.  It  isn't  my  affairs  at  all,  but  it  is 
my  country." 

"  I  guess  likely  you'll  yet  go  for  a  nurse,"  said 
Martha,  half  questioningly. 

"  Possibly,  but  I've  no  special  leading  so  far. 
There'll  be  work  enough  to  do  every-where,  I  guess, 
before  we  see  the  last  of  it,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be 
ready  to  do  my  part.  It's  time  for  me  to  think  of 
that,  too  ;  for  I  was  terribly  troubled  all  sermon- 
time  because  our  minister  wasn't  doing  his  part 
according  to  my  ideas.  I  can  say  to  you,  Martha, 
that  I  do  wish  he  would  come  down  from  his  lad- 
der and  talk  sense  to  the  boys." 

"  Come  down  from  his  ladder?"  repeated  Martha, 
who  was  never  figurative. 

"Yes,  ladder,  or  stilts,  or  whatever  it  is  that  lifts 
him  so  far  above  common  folks."  Miss  Hancock's 
eyes  twinkled,  and  she  added,  with  bated  breath, 
"  I  can't  think  of  any  thing  but  a  man  in  corsets 
when  I  hear  him  preach." 


SUNDA  Y  NOON.  81 

"  0-o-oh  !  "  cried  Martha,  throwing  up  her  hands. 
"  Nobody  but  a  born  fool  would  wear  one  of  them 
abominable  things,  man  or  woman." 

"  Not  actual  corsets,  of  course,"  laughed  Miss 
Hancock,  "but  spiritual  ones,  binding  and  cramp- 
ing his  very  soul.  I  felt  this  morning  how  I'd  like 
to  snap  the  whalebones  and  cut  the  strings  just 
once." 

This  bold  figure  of  speech  traveled  through 
Martha's  brain,  and  was  recognized  as  embodying  a 
vague  idea  that  she  had  had  ;  and  an  appreciative 
smile  expanded  her  lips  and  gathered  in  wrinkles  all 
around  her  eyes,  by  which  time  Miss  Hancock  had 
repented  her  rashness  and  added  in  contrite  tones, 
"  But  I  ought  not  to  indulge  in  such  unprofitable 
talk.  The  Lord  can  loose  the  bonds  of  his  serv- 
ant in  his  own  good  time ;  and  there's  the  first  bell 
ringing  this  minute." 

But  a  Sunday  "noonin'  "  may  hold  many  events 
of  interest  besides  the  conversation  of  two  simple- 
hearted  women  ;  and  the  little  groups  gathered  in 
and  around  the  church  made  up  of  those  who 
remained  between  Sunday-school  and  "  afternoon 
preaching"  were  all  making  the  most  of  the  hour. 
One  topic,  with  many  variations,  absorbed  all  classes 
in  those  days,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  murmur- 
ous bits  of  conversation  relating  to  those  who  had 
gone  or  were  going  to  war,  or,  sometimes  sadder 
still,  those  who  would  remain  at  home. 

Esther  Steele  happened  to  be  the  sole  occupant 

of  the  gallery,  and  she  sat  at  the  melodeon  playing 

with  timid,  quiet  touch  tunes  with  which  she  was 

familiar.    She  was  not  a  daring  musician,  like  Abram, 

0 


82  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

who,  though  self-taught,  could  fill  the  old  church 
with  all  the  music  the  instrument  was  capable  of, 
and  could  improvise  voluntaries  that  were  the 
pride  of  the  congregation.  The  instrument  had 
been  bought  for  a  "  seraphine,"  and  the  choir  had 
taken  pride  in  the  name,  until  poor  old  Grandma'am 
Pike  spoiled  it  by  saying  that  "  Abram  Steele  could 
make  music  on  their  new  '  seraphim  '  that  was  most 
heavenly." 

The  young  people  of  the  other  church  did  not 
fail  to  take  advantage  of  the  old  lady's  blunder,  and 
as  a  result  it  had  been  nothing  but  a  melodeon  ever 
since.  But  it  was  much  larger  than  that  in  Mr. 
Steele's  parlor,  and  so  was  a  delight  to  Esther's 
music-loving  soul.  She  was  playing  a  quaint  old 
"fugue"  tune,  which  was  a  fitting  accompaniment 
to  her  own  thoughts,  when  she  became  aware  that 
she  was  not  alone,  and,  looking  around,  saw  Donald 
Stanley.  Her  heart  immediately  began  to  beat  a 
wild  tattoo,  for  she  instinctively  felt  that  he  had 
planned  to  see  her  alone.  Ought  she  to  go  or  to 
stay?  While  her  tender  conscience  was  debating 
this  question,  with  the  weight  of  argument  in  favor 
of  instant  flight,  he  seated  himself  near  her,  and 
she  persuaded  herself  that  she  could  not  pass  him 
without  actual  rudeness.  There  was  no  more  prac- 
ticing of  old  tunes;  and  if  two  or  three  old  ladies 
who  had  gathered  in  the  minister's  pew,  because 
it  boasted  the  luxury  of  a  cushion,  missed  the 
music  and  glanced  up  questioningly,  let  us  trust 
that  some  pure  and  sweet  memory  of  their  own 
youth  returned  to  remind  them  that  there  was 
other   music   quite  as  entrancing  as  that  of  a  melo- 


SUNDA  V  NOON.  S3 

deon.  If  at  this  point  sentimental  readers  antici- 
pate a  touching  love  episode  they  are  doomed  to 
disappointment.  Indeed,  such  scenes  as  are  de- 
scribed by  those  who  make  it  a  business  would  be 
altogether  too  intense  to  suit  the  quiet  of  a  coun- 
try church.  Our  friend  Esther  was  an  honest 
little  Puritan,  and,  greatly  as  she  admired  Don 
Stanley,  she  had  no  idea  of  revealing  the  fact.  So 
she  sat  primly  erect,  and  felt  quite  enraged  because 
the  blood  crept  into  her  cheeks  and  her  heart 
kept  up  such  a  ridiculous  thumping.  But  they 
began  to  talk  about  the  new  company,  touching 
very  lightly  on  Abram's  inexplicable  conduct,  for 
that  subject  was  painful  to  both.  Then  Don  spoke 
tenderly  of  his  mother  and  begged  Esther  to  see 
her  as  often  as  possible,  for  his  mother  loved  her 
dearly ! 

And  Esther  laughed  nervously  at  this  and  said 
she  didn't  see  why — she  had  never  done  any  thing 
for  Mrs.  Stanley.  Then  the  young  man  asked 
another  favor  for  himself,  which  was  that  she  would 
write  to  him  while  he  was  away. 

He  had  his  penknife,  and,  as  he  talked,  was  cutting 
his  initials  in  fine  shapely  letters  on  the  back  of  the 
time-worn  seat,  where  were  the  names  of  many  other 
singers  who  had  sometime  made  melody  in  the 
old  gallery.  Esther  heard  the  request  perfectly, 
and  held  her  under-lip  with  her  white  front  teeth 
for  an  instant,  and  so  hard  that  the  impression  was 
there  a  moment  afterward  ;  but  she  did  not  reply. 
Instead,  she  said  that  she  hoped  army  life  would 
agree  with  him,  and  that  he  wouldn't  get  wounded. 
He  repeated  his  question — would  she  write  to  him  ? 


84  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"O,  I  can't  write  good  letters.  You  would  get 
more  news  from  the  Standard.  I'll  send  you  that," 
said  she,  gazing  steadfastly  at  the  initials  and  feel- 
ing as  though  she  had  shut  the  gates  of  bliss  against 
herself. 

He  looked  at  her  an  instant  and  half  smiled  to  see 
her  poorly  assumed  indifference.  "  I  expect  to 
have  the  paper  anyway.  King  wants  me  to  cor- 
respond. But  I  want  you  to  write  to  me.  May  be 
you  think  that  is  a  favor  I  shall  ask  of  other  young 
ladies,  but  it  is  not.  I  shall  prize  your  letters — 
more  than  I  can  tell ;  and  when  I  come  home — 
sometime — " 

"  When  you  come  home  you'll  give  them  all 
back,  wont  you  ? "  interrupted  Esther,  while  the 
gates  of  bliss  swung  wide  open. 

"Then  you  will  write?  "  and  the  persistent  fel- 
low laughed  at  her  confusion.  And  then  quite  un- 
expectedly their  eyes  met,  and  at  the  same  instant 
the  "  first  bell  "  began  to  ring. 

By  the  time  the  other  singers  had  ascended  the 
narrow  stairs  Don  and  Esther  were  in  their  re- 
spective places  diligently  studying  their  hymn- 
books.  The  bell  rang,  and  after  a  brief  silence  rang 
again  a  few  sharp  admonitory  strokes,  the  last  of 
which  resounded  and  echoed  and  kept  the  rope 
swinging  until  Job  Renfrew,  the  sexton,  had  hob- 
bled half-way  to  his  seat.  The  hot  afternoon  sun 
struck  through  the  unshaded  west  windows,  and  the 
singers  settled  themselves,  after  the  opening  exer- 
cises, as  far  as  possible  from  its  direct  rays ;  and 
this  gave  Esther  an  opportunity  to  secure  for  her- 
self a  corner  where  she  could  hide  her    face.     She 


SUN  DA  Y  NOON.  S5 

was  so  intensely  self-conscious  that  it  seemed  as 
though  every  body  was  looking  at  her  blushing 
cheeks  and  reading  the  very  thoughts  which  whirled 
through  her  brain.  She  had  to  assure  herself 
over  and  over  again  that  "  he  "  had  not  said  any 
thing,  and  that  she  had  been  equally  prudent,  before 
she  ventured  to  raise  her  eyes.  It  was  very  singu- 
lar that  the  utterance  of  mere  commonplaces  such 
as  Esther  persuaded  herself  had  been  the  sum  and 
substance  of  their  conversation  should  have  had 
such  an  effect.  But  if  one  finds  the  road  which 
leads  back  to  paradise  it  matters  little  how  the 
gate  is  opened.  It  was  enough  for  her  to  know, 
with  or  without  the  agency  of  speech,  that  Don 
Stanley  valued  her  friendship  and  looked  forward  to 
a  "sometime."  Of  course  with  all  this  new  hap- 
piness came  the  thought  of  his  speedy  departure. 

The  "  rough  beard  of  war  "  was  arousing  many  a 
slumbering  princess ;  but  with  the  waking  came  not 
only  the  thrill  of  new  life,  but  the  bitterness  of  sep- 
aration and  the  shadow  of  bereavement.  And  yet 
there  would  be  letters,  and,  by  and  by,  a  glad  home- 
coming. But  how  would  her  mother  relish  such  a 
correspondence  ? 

Esther's  conscientious  heart  quailed  before  this 
thought,  for  Mrs.  Steele  did  not  like  Don.  His 
very  name  was  an  offense  to  her  conservative  ears, 
having  a  savor  of  romance. 

"  It  sounds  to  me  like  a  borrowed  name,"  said  she, 
"  and  you  may  depend  upon  it  there's  something 
wrong." 

Then  again,  his  free  and  easy  elegance,  so  differ- 
ent  from  the    good  wholesome    awkwardness    and 


86  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

diffidence  of  most  country-bred  young  men,  aroused 
her  suspicion  that  he  had  lived  in  "  the  city."  And 
were  not  cities  noted  for  all  sorts  of  deception  and 
duplicity?  So,  in  spite  of  Abram's  warm  defense 
of  his  friend  and  the  young  man's  uniformly  good  be- 
havior, she  nursed  her  prejudice  and  would  not, 
Esther  was  sure,  lay  it  aside  to  favor  such  a  wild 
proposition  as  that  of  correspondence. 

But  it  would  all  come  right,  of  course  it  would, 
said  Esther  to  herself;  for  in  this  new  paradise  road 
nothing  stumbles  and  falls  so  readily  as  doubts  and 
fears.  So,  during  the  rest  of  the  service,  she  gave 
herself  up  to  innocent  imaginings  and  plans  for  the 
future  ;  and  when  the  benediction  was  pronounced 
she  bowed  her  head  with  the  happy  consciousness 
that  she  was  indeed  receiving  the  threefold  blessing 
invoked,  and  that  for  ever  and  ever  her  heart  would 
be  kept  "  in  perfect  peace." 


"  COMPANY  F."  87 


CHAPTER    VII. 

"  COMPANY    F." 

JULY  days,  sunny  and  sultry,  passed  rapidly,  and 
the  last  loads  of  hay  had  been  drawn  from  shaven 
fields.  Barn  doors  stood  wide  open,  and  the  sum- 
mer winds  blew  through  between  mows  piled  high 
on  either  side,  still  fragrant  with  the  sweetest  odors 
of  earth  and  air ;  and  harvesting  crowded  close 
upon  haying,  or  perhaps  haying  had  dragged  a  little. 
What  else  could  be  expected,  when  every  night 
men  and  boys  alike  hurried  to  the  village  post- 
office  for  "  the  news,"  and  stopped  to  discuss  it  with 
neighbors  and  friends?  And  there  was  so  much 
news  to  discuss.  Surely  the  old  controversy  con- 
cerning the  relative  might  of  the  sword  and  the 
pen  was  never  so  far  from  settlement  as  in  those 
days  when  the  one  was  constantly  engaged  in  re- 
cording the  deeds  of  the  other.  Never  before  had 
newspapers  been  in  such  demand,  never  had  edito- 
rial courage  and  wisdom  been  so  tested,  never  in  the 
history  of  our  land  had  thought  responded  to  thought 
and  impulse  to  impulse  so  quickly  and  with  such  tell- 
ing effect. 

Gilead's  local  paper,  the  Standard,  whose  motto 
was,  "No  compromise  with  slavery,"  and  whose 
editor  was  a  young  man  full  of  combativeness  and 
moral  courage,  was  issued  every  Friday. 


88  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

While  the  sheets  were  still  damp  from  the  press 
they  were  carried  away  by  eager  subscribers,  who, 
after  hearing  a  "  Boston  daily' '  read  aloud  in  the  post- 
office,  Avere  ready  to  study  the  events  of  the  week  in 
the  light  of  Standard  reports  from  the  front. 

When  at  length  the  last  recruit  necessary  to  form 
the  new  company  had  given  his  name  and  received 
a  glance  of  medical  approval  through  old  Dr.  Snow's 
spectacles,  an  organization  was  effected  ;  and  while 
the  presses  waited  the  Standard  slipped  in  a  com- 
plete list  of  men  and  officers.  It  was  more  popular 
that  night  than  ever  before. 

Benjie  Steele  was  one  of  the  first  to  snatch  a  copy, 
and  away  he  rode  toward  home  with  his  prize,  en- 
tirely forgetting  the  nails  and  screws  he  was  to 
purchase.  He  was  at  that  age  when  a  very  little  ex- 
citement is  sufficient  to  set  the  blood  racing  through 
the  body,  and  when  there  is  no  motive  power  quite 
rapid  enough  to  keep  pace  with  the  imagination.  Talk 
of  telegraphic  communication  !  A  boy  of  fifteen 
brooks  no  delay ;  not  that  his  business  is  all-im- 
portant, he  simply  wants  things  to  move. 

That  was  Benjie's  nature;  and  yet  in  hoeing- 
time  he  could,  if  he  chose,  rival  a  snail  in  his  rate 
of  progress  from  one  potato-hill  to  another.  Of 
such  strange  inconsistencies  are  boys  capable. 

But  he  rode  home  through  the  darkness  and  the 
dust  that  August  evening  at  Gypsy's  best  speed  ; 
and,  after  turning  her  loose  in  the  little  pasture  be- 
hind the  barns,  hurried  into  the  sitting-room  where 
the  family  were  gathered. 

"  I  got  the  Standard  and  the  list's  in  it — company 
all  organized  and  every  thing,"  he  panted. 


"COMPANY  F."  89 

His  father  laid  aside  the  Tribune  with  a  "  Well, 
well,  I  want  to  know !"  His  mother  looked  up  from 
her  mending,  the  girls  each  held  out  a  hand  for  the 
paper,  and  Abram,  who  sat  at  his  desk  in  the  cor- 
ner, paused  in  his  writing  and  leaned  his  head  upon 
his  hand. 

Benjie  began  with  the  editorial :  "  Company  F, 
popularly  known  as  the  Gilead  Guards,  is  now  full, 
and  to-day  elected  officers,  whose  names,  as  also 
those  of  the  privates,  will  be  found  in  another 
column. 

"  Among  the  new  recruits  are  many  of  our  best 
young  men  ;  and,  while  they  will  be  sadly  missed, 
every  patriotic  citizen  must  rejoice  that  our  town  is 
to  be  so  well  represented  in  the  ranks  of  our  nation's 
defenders.  Bristow's  Falls  and  the  Center  have 
helped  make  up  the — " 

"  O,  Benjie,"  interrupted  Mary,  "who  cares  for 
editorials?     Do  read  the  list." 

Benjie  looked  at  her  with  lofty  scorn. 

"  I  care  for  editorials.  How  would  we  know  how 
things  are  goin'  if  'twasn't  for  them  ?"  said  he,  mean- 
while turning  the  paper  to  the  indicated  column. 

"  Well,  John  Bartlett  is  captain,  just  as  we  ex- 
pected, 'nd  Judson  Plumley's  first  lieutenant.  Wal- 
ter Jackson,  from  the  Center,  is  second  lieutenant — " 

"Don  Stanley's  one  of  the  sergeants,  anyway," 
said    Mary,  peeping  over  Benjie's  shoulder. 

"Yes,  and  Joe  Armstrong  'nd  Hiram  Follinsbee 
are  corporals.  Now,  I'm  disappointed  not  to  see 
David  Douglas  amongst  the  officers.  He's  a  real 
smart  feller ;  he  knows  lots  more  'n  most  of  the  boys, 
too." 


90  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  It  aint  the  wisest  and  best  that  get  office,  not 
always.  I  dare  say  David  will  make  a  good  private 
soldier,"  said  Mr.  Steele. 

"Yes;  he'll  be  good  anywhere;  but  if  they'd 
asked  my  advice  I'd  have  said, '  Have  David  for  cor- 
poral, for  all  of  Hi  Follinsbee.'  " 

There  was  a  laugh  at  this,  for  Benjie  distinguished 
himself  daily  by  planning  campaigns  and  directing 
affairs  generally. 

"Well,  you  needn't  laugh,"  said  he;  "don't  I 
know  the  boys  a  good  deal  better  than  most  of  the 
company?  But  they  all  feel  so  good  I  suppose 
they  don't  care  much  for  office.  John  Henry 
Hickey  said  every  Gilead  boy  would  be  an  H.  P., 
best  they  could  do." 

"  What's  an  H.  P.?"  asked  Mary. 

"  High  Private,  of  course.  I  told  John  Henry  he 
walked  's  if  he'd  swallowed  a  ramrod  ;  but  he  said  I 
ought  to  see  him  when  he  gets  out  of  sight,  'nd  I 
wouldn't  worry." 

"  The  Hickey  boys  are  straightening  up  wonder- 
fully," said  Mary,  as  she  carefully  drew  the  paper 
from  the  table.  "  See  here,"  she  continued,  "  Vic's 
brother,  Chester  Shaw,  is  going.  He  was  in  the 
Standard  office,  you  know.  And  hear  this  :  '  The 
family  of  Mr.  Joel  Smith  is  truly  patriotic,  sending  the 
father  and  three  sons.'  The  family  send  them  ! 
that  must  mean  poor  Mrs.  Smith,  and  Abby  Jane, 
and  Huldah,  and  two  or  three  babies." 

"  They'll  be  left  without  a  man  to  drive  a  nail," 
observed  Benjie  as  he  recaptured  the  paper. 

"I  guess  girls  can  learn  to  drive  nails,"  cried 
Mary. 


"■COMPANY  F."  91 

"Yes,  finger-nails,"  retorted  Benjie. 

"  Three  boys  !  How  can  poor  Mrs.  Smith  bear  it  ?" 
said  Mrs.  Steele,  sympathetically.  "  But  Pliny  is  not 
of  age,  I  am  very  sure.  No  ;  he  was  born  the  win- 
ter their  house  burnt,  and  that  makes  him  a  whole 
year  younger  than  Austin.  Strange  they  allow  him 
to  go." 

"  I  guess  they  take  him  along  to  keep  him  out  of 
mischief;  I  wish  somebody  was  obliged  to  take  me," 
sighed  Benjie. 

"They  wouldn't  find  time  to  do  any  fighting  if 
they  did,"  said  Mary,  between  whom  and  her 
brother  existed  an  affection  subject  to  frequent 
changes. 

"  Children,  children,  be  careful  what  you  say  !  " 
interposed  their  father.  "  It's  no  joke  to  'list,  for  it 
means  never  seein'  home  again  to  a  good  many. 
Read  the  names  of  the  boys,  son." 

And  with  many  an  exclamation  and  interpolation 
the  boy  read  the  long  list,  while  Esther's  knitting- 
needles  clicked,  and  the  rest  sat  thoughtfully  listen- 
ing and  wondering  what  would  be  the  future  fate  of 
the  "  Guards." 

Esther  kept  her  fingers  and  needles  flying,  for, 
like  all  self-conscious  people,  she  felt  sure  that  the 
slightest  change  in  her  acts  or  words  would  be 
noticed  ;  and  not  for  all  the  world  would  she  have 
betrayed  the  fact  that  her  heart  was  interested  in 
one  more  than  another  of  the  names  in  that  long 
column. 

Printer's  ink  stamps  any  subject  with  a  distinct- 
ness that  means  finality ;  so,  while  every  body  in 
town  seemed  to  know  who  had  enlisted,  the  fact 


92  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

was  not  fully  realized  until  they  saw  it  thus  announced 
in  black  and  white. 

"  It  reads  too  much  like  the  killed  and  wounded 
list  in  the  Boston  Journal"  said  Mary. 

"And  there's  where  you'll  see  some  of  'em  next, 
probably,"  added  her  mother,  sadly. 

"  Here's  a  long  letter  from  the  cavalry — from  Cap- 
tain Plumley,"  said  Benjie,  rapidly  scanning  the 
paper ;  "  'nd  here's  a  little  squib  from  somebody  about 
the  new  company.  Want  to  hear  it?  "  and  without 
waiting  for  a  response  the  boy  began  to  read  one 
of  those  local  letters  such  as  add  to  the  popularity 
of  a  paper  in  its  own  town.  It  was  well  written, 
giving  advice  to  the  new  "  soldier-boys  "  as  well  as 
considerable  information  concerning  their  immediate 
future  ;  and  Benjie  plunged  along  in  his  usual  haste 
until  he  found  himself  reading  the  closing  sentences  : 
"  Nothing  but  admiration  is  expressed  for  the  brave 
men  who  form  this  new  company.  Its  officers  are, 
without  exception,  making  a  genuine  sacrifice, 
whether  we  consider  present  position  or  future 
prospects,  and  are  evidently  actuated  by  pure  pa- 
triotism ;  while  the  privates  are,  as  a  whole,  far  above 
the  average  in  appearance  and  character.  Gilead 
may  trust  her  '  war  record  '  in  the  hands  of  such 
men.  As  for  those  who  exhibited  a  flaming  zeal 
before  the  recruiting  office  was  opened,  and  after- 
ward cooled  off  so  suddenly,  we  have  no  words 
to  express  our  contempt.  If  such  were  in  the 
majority,  '  secesh  '  principles  would  soon  rule  the 
nation,  law  and  order  would  be  sacrificed,  anarchy 
would — " 

Mary's  foot  was  applied  with  such  emphasis  at 


"COMPANY  F."  93 

this  moment  as  to  awaken  Benjie  to  the  fact  that 
the  article  was  dealing  with  a  dangerous  topic. 

He  saw  it  at  once,  and  marveled  at  his  stupidity, 
while  his  face  and  neck  reddened  all  over.  He 
glanced  quickly  toward  Abram,  who  still  sat  with 
his  face  bent  over  his  desk  and  gave  no  visible  sign 
of  emotion.  There  followed  a  painful  silence  which 
no  one  cared  to  break.  Benjie  hid  his  glowing  face 
and  finished  the  article,  which  closed  with  a  sarcas- 
tic reference  which  he  felt  must  be  aimed  at  Abram. 
He  was  thoroughly  stirred,  and  tears  of  vexation 
filled  his  eyes  and  began  to  drop  with  a  distinct 
noise  upon  the  paper.  Angry  that  he  could  not 
control  himself,  more  than  all  angry  that  Abram 
should  bring  such  disgrace  upon  himself  and  the 
family,  he  jumped  up,  seized  a  candle  from  the  shelf, 
and  ejaculating,  "It's  too  confounded  mean,  so!" 
he  disappeared  up  the  stairs. 

Mr.  Steele  did  not  reprove  or  call  him  back, 
severe  as  he  was  against  the  use  of  "by-words." 
He  snuffed  his  candle  deliberately  and  turned 
again  to  his  paper.  Esther  left  her  place  by  the 
table  and  moved  over  by  Abram's  desk,  wishing  she 
dared  express  the  sympathy  she  felt ;  while  Mary, 
who  did  not  approve  of  silence,  introduced  what 
she  felt  sure  was  a  safe  subject. 

"  Mother,"  said  she,  "  I  wonder  why  Austin 
doesn't  write.  It's  been  weeks  since  we  heard  last. 
I  think  he  is  awful  careless." 

"  It  never  was  easy  for  Austin  to  write,"  answered 
her  mother.  "  He  used  to  fret  over  his  writing- 
books  more  than  all  the  rest  of  you  put  together. 
But  he  promised  to  write  every  fortnight." 


94  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  I  dreamed  last  night  that  I  saw  him  in  a  brass 
band,"  laughed  Mary.  "  He  had  a  horn  that  shone 
like  the  sun,  and  it  was  just  the  shape  of  the  ram's 
horns  that  they  blew  when  they  went  round  Jericho, 
you  know,  and  he  was  riding  on  a  black  horse." 

"  Father  read  about  Jericho  yesterday  morning; 
that's  why  you  dreamed  of  horns,"  said  Esther. 

"  I'm  glad  it  was  a  black  horse  instead  of  a  white 
one,"  said  Mrs.  Steele,  slowly.  "  I  don't  really  be- 
lieve in  signs,  but  I've  noticed  if  you  dream  of  a 
white  horse  you're  almost  sure  to  hear  of  sickness 
or  death  or  some  other  trouble." 

Mary  leaned  her  head  upon  the  table  close  to  her 
mother  and  whispered,  "  I  don't  think  we  need 
to  dream  about  white  horses,  for  we've  got  trouble 
enough  now.  I  think  Abram's  real  hateful,  and  if 
I  was  you  and  father  I'd  make  him  tell  what's 
keeping  him  home." 

Mrs.  Steele  shook  her  head  to  enforce  silence, 
and  glanced  with  troubled  eyes  toward  the  corner. 

"  I  s'pose  he  wrote  to  Austin  not  to  come  home 
now  he  isn't  needed,"  continued  Mary,  still  in  a 
whisper.  "  I  guess  Austin  wonders  what  the  trouble 
is,  don't  you  ?  " 

A  warning  cough  from  Esther  checked  the  talka- 
tive girl  at  last,  who  tossed  her  head  defiantly  and 
picked  up  the  Standard  which  had  been  thrown 
upon  the  floor  in  Benjie's  wrath. 

If  the  family  had  been  better  acquainted  with  the 
tactics  of  writers  just  at  that  time  they  would  have 
known  that  it  was  their  policy  to  bring  the  army  of 
stay-at-homes  into  disrepute.  They  would  have 
known  that  there  were  many  genuine  cowards  who 


"COMPANY  F."  95 

might  have  considered  that  caustic  letter  a  personal 
reproof,  well  deserved  on  account  of  their  high  pro- 
fessions of  patriotism  previous  to  the  test  of  enlist- 
ment. In  those  days  many  a  man  remembered  with 
delight  that  he  had  a  "  tendency  "  to  consumption, 
or  that  he  had  a  "  bad  knee,"or  defective  teeth  ;  and 
the  number  of  "  stiff  joints  "  discovered  was  a  libel 
on  nature's  system  of  lubrication.  But  under  the 
circumstances  they  thought  of  no  one  but  Abram 
that  evening,  and  suffered  accordingly. 

As  for  Abram,  he  was  not  yet  so  hardened  as  to 
be  indifferent  to  public  opinion.  To  be  sure  he 
had  tried  to  fortify  himself  against  it,  but  every 
day  brought  some  new  trial  which  he  felt,  as  Gypsy 
felt  through  every  nerve  of  her  sensitive  body  the 
sting  of  a  whip.  But  public  opinion  in  general 
was  nothing  to  him  compared  with  that  of  his  inti- 
mate friends  ;  for  Abram,  like  all  royal  souls,  placed 
a  high  estimate  on  those  whose  friendship  he  valued. 
And  they  had  been  to  him — Judson  Plumley  and 
young  Lawyer  Parker  and  Don  Stanley  and  all  the 
rest — been  to  him  and  pleaded  and  coaxed  until  they 
were  weary ;  and  then — for  human  nature  is  weak — 
had  turned  away  either  in  anger  or  in  silence,  which 
expressed  more  than  words.  A  few,  and  but  a  few, 
had  remained  quite  the  same.  One  of  these  was 
Don  Stanley,  who  knew  enough  of  the  world  to 
dimly  suspect  where  the  trouble  lay  ;  and  another 
was  Joe  Armstrong,  who  declared  that  he  had 
"  pulled  with  Abram  Steele  too  long  to  leave  him 
alone  when  he  got  stuck  in  a  hard  furrow."  Others 
tried  to  resume  the  old  friendly  relations,  but  there 
is  nothing  so  hard  to  counterfeit  as  the  ring  of  sin- 


96  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

cerity  in  a  familiar  voice  ;  and  Abram,  with  his  clear 
insight,  could  not  be  deceived.  He  was,  however, 
philosopher  enough  to  say  that  he  would  do  no 
better  himself  under  similar  circumstances. 

Next  to  the  trial  of  losing  the  esteem  of  old 
friends  was  that  of  receiving  the  congratulations  of 
new  ones,  who  most  unexpectedly  came  to  the 
front. 

Old  Mr.  Slocum  still  owned  the  farm  adjoining 
Mr.  Steele's,  and  had  so  conducted  himself  since 
the  commencement  of  the  civil  war  as  to  win  the 
epithet  "copperhead,'  which  was  applied  some- 
what indiscriminately  to  rebel  sympathizers  in  the 
North.  Mr.  Slocum  was  a  hard-fisted  old  fellow 
who  loved  money  so  well  that  his  capacity  in  the 
line  of  affection  was  exhausted.  He  regarded  his 
country  as  deliberately  wronging  him  in  supporting 
the  luxury  of  a  war  ;  and  as  his  sons  and  his  son-in- 
law,  who  lived  near,  all  subscribed  to  his  doctrines, 
the  family  had  become  quite  notorious  in  a  commu- 
nity so  generally  loyal.  Abram  was  at  work  one 
day  near  the  "  line-fence,"  when  Mr.  Slocum,  who 
was  busily  mending  the  same,  called  to  him,  greet- 
ing him  with  a  cordiality  that  was  quite  surprising. 

"  Glad  to  know  you've  got  a  leetle  grain  of  com- 
mon sense,"  said  he.  "  Every  body's  so  eat  up 
with  this  rage  to  go  South  ;  I  declare  it  beats  all! 
And  they're  bound  to  get  the  upper  hand  of  us, 
them  Southerners ;  don't  ye  see  they  be  ?  Who 
wins  the  big  battles?  Why,  the  rebs  do.  They're 
on  their  own  ter'tory;  don't  you  see  they  be? 
They'll  hold  on  to  their  niggers,  too.  So'd  I  if  I 
was   in   their  places,  fer   it   Stan's   to   reason  a  man 


"COMPANY  F."  97 

wont  give  up  his  property.  Who's  goin'  to  carry 
on  them  rice  plantations  and  pick  all  that  'ere 
cotton,  if  the  niggers  all  go  to  Afriky  ?  White  folks 
can't  do  it — can't  stand  the  hot  weather.  Don't 
ye  see  they  can't?" 

Abram  always  had  to  smile  at  Mr.  Slocum,  he 
was  so  hopelessly  ignorant  and  bigoted,  so  he  an- 
swered good-naturedly: 

"  The  negroes  wont  go  to  Africa  if  they  are  freed. 
They  will  probably  stay  in  the  South  and  pick  the 
cotton  just  as  they  do  now,  only  they  will  be  paid 
for  their  work  like  other  men.  They  wont  be 
slaves,  and  they  ought  not  to  be  slaves." 

"  I  do'  know  about  that;"  and  Mr.  Slocum  brought 
his  hammer  down  upon  the  top  fence-rail  with  em- 
phasis. "  Folks  don't  all  read  the  Bible  alike,  and 
folks  don't  always  think  alike.  If  they're  set  free 
they'll  roam  everywhere,  all  over  creation.  They'll 
be  up  here,  and  the  town'll  have  'em  to  take  care 
of.  Yis,  sir;  they'll  be  beggars  and  thieves,  eatin'  us 
out  of  house  and  home.  And  think  of  the  taxes  ! 
Land  o'  Goshen — think  of  the  taxes  !  They're  goin' 
to  take  more  'n  a  man's  got.  Don't  ye  see  they 
be?" 

The  old  man's  eyes  snapped,  and  his  voice,  al- 
ways high  and  shrill,  sounded  so  like  a  cracked 
violin  that  Abram  laughed  again,  even  while  he  felt 
that,  in  a  sense,  he  was  "  aiding  and  abetting  "  the 
old  traitor. 

"  Wal,"  he  continued,  wiping  the  sweat  from  his 

forehead  and  lowering  his  voice,  "  I  was  about  to 

say  I'm  glad  to  see  you  know  enough  to  stay  to 

home  ;  I  says  to  my  folks,  says  I,  '  Abram  Steele's 

7 


98  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

got  more  sense  'n  I  thought  he  had.  He  knows 
which  side  his  bread  is  buttered,'  says  I." 

"  But,  Mr.  Slocum,  I  didn't  want  to  stay  at  home. 
I  should  have  enlisted  when  the  rest  did  if  my  way 
hadn't  been  blocked,"  interrupted  Abram,  with 
considerable  dignity. 

"  O,  y-a-a-s  ! "  drawled  the  old  farmer,  his  eyes 
twinkling  facetiously,  "  that's  what  I  told  my  folks. 
Says  I,  '  Abram  knows  which  side  his  bread's  but- 
tered.' Them  that  goes  to  war  is  twice  as  likely  to 
get  shot  as  them  that  stays  to  home.  Don't  ye  see 
they  be  ?  " 

Abram  dared  not  trust  himself  to  reply,  but  his 
face  grew  white  as  he  said  "  Good-morning  "  and 
returned  to  his  work. 

Mr.  Slocum  had  a  dim  idea  that  he  might  have 
misunderstood  the  young  man  ;  but,  after  watching 
him  a  moment,  he  took  up  his  hammer,  muttering 
as  he  did  so  that  "  the  Steeles  was  a  dretful  thin- 
skinned  family." 


BLUE  SUITS. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BLUE  SUITS. 

AND  next  in  order  came  the  new  blue  clothes 
for  the  "  Guards."  The  earlier  volunteers 
had  not  been  thus  equipped  before  leaving  home, 
and  the  brief  visits  of  a  few  "on  furlough"  had 
given  to  people  in  general  but  a  glimpse  of  "  blue 
and  gold."  Even  the  pompous  officers  who  had 
visited  the  place  since  recruiting  began  tarried  but 
for  a  night,  leaving  behind  a  vague  impression  of 
military  splendor  and  a  question  as  to  what  it  must 
be  to  see  a  regiment  thus  arrayed.  But  now  Gilead 
had  a  whole  company  of  its  own  in  uniform  !  Has 
any  one  whose  memory  dates  back  to  '62  forgotten 
how  the  boys  looked  in  their  dark  blue  coats,  light 
blue  pantaloons,  and  regulation  caps  ?  How  straight 
and  tall  they  looked  !  And  as  for  their  style  of 
walking,  they  seemed  to  drop  the  old  slouching 
stride,  and  step  as  if  they  had  already  been  under 
the  charge  of  a  drill-master.  The  villagers  had  the 
first  view  of  the  company  when,  after  receiving  their 
outfit  at  their  rendezvous,  they  appeared  singly  or 
in  squads  to  "  pass  inspection."  Proud  and  anxious 
to  be  seen  they  were,  but  modest  withal,  and  quite 
overwhelmed  by  the  hand-shakings  and  compliments 
which  greeted  them  on  every  side. 

"  Uncle  Sam's  boys  forever!  "  shouted  Ira  Bar- 


100  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

stow  from  the  post-office  window  ;  and  then  the  men 
and  boys  standing  around  began  to  cheer,  and  the 
children  just  released  from  school  hurrahed  and 
waved  handkerchiefs,  until  our  young  soldiers  felt 
inclined  to  beat  a  retreat. 

"  Well,  David,"  cried  Mrs.  Douglas,  as  her  son 
appeared,  having  hurried  home  to  exhibit  himself 
to  parental  eyes,  "  well,  David,  you  do  look  fine, 
indeed  ;  but  I  can't  bear  to  think  that  my  little  Da- 
vid is  really  going  to  meet  the  great  Goliath  of 
slavery  !  " 

"  O,  mother,"  laughed  the  young  man,  "don't 
call  me  your  little  David.  I  took  one  of  the  largest 
suits  they  had  ;  "  and  he  drew  himself  up  compla- 
cently, trying  to  survey  his  "  five  feet  ten  "  in  the 
tiny  looking-glass  that  hung  in  the  corner. 

"  But  it  seems  such  a  few  days  since  you  was  a 
baby  in  the  cradle.  O,  David,  you're  too  good  for 
a  soldier ! "  and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if 
Mrs.  Douglas  was  about  to  follow  the  example  of 
weaker  women.  "  But  I  said  I  wouldn't  cry,  Da- 
vid, and  I'll  not  begin  now,  for  I  love  this  dear 
country  as  well  as  though  I'd  been  born  here; 
and  I  wont  say,  like  some  of  the  mothers,  that  I 
wish  I  had  no  son  to  go,  for  I'm  glad  I  have  you 
and  that  you're  brave  enough  to  go  ;  "  and  she 
wiped  the  tears  from  her  eyes,  still  sunny  and  clear, 
and  David  resolved,  then  and  there,  that  his  mother 
should  never  have  cause  to  regret  her  sacrifice. 

But  all  the  women  were  not  as  courageous  as  this 
clever  Scotchwoman.  Vic  Armstrong,  who  had 
cried  and  scolded  alternately  while  preparing  neces- 
sary clothing  for  Joe,  broke  down  completely  when 


BLUE  SUITS.  101 

she  saw  him  coming  through  the  trees  that  night 
and  caught  the  sparkle  of  tell-tale  brass  buttons  as 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun  fell  upon  them.  Little 
Nellie  clapped  her  hands  and  laughed,  reaching  out 
eagerly  for  the  new  splendor  ;  but  Vic  threw  herself 
into  the  big  arm-chair  and  sobbed  : 

"  O,  Joe,  now  you're  going,  now  you're  going! 
You  don't  love  me  and  baby  any  more  !  All  you 
care  for  now  is  the  new  clothes  and  going  to  war." 

Joe  caught  her  in  his  arms  and  smoothed  her 
tangled  hair. 

"  O,  now,  Vic,"  said  he,  soothingly,  "  you  mustn't 
talk  so.  You  wouldn't  want  me  to  stay  here  'nd 
feel  too  mean  to  live,  while  the  rest  of  the  boys 
went  to  war,  would  ye?  Frank  will  come  to  stay 
with  ye,  'nd  I'll  send  home  my  money  to  pay  up  for 
the  farm,  'nd  when  I  come  home  I'll  build  a  new 
house  with  a  piazza  all  round.  It  wont  seem  no 
time  hardly  before  we  finish  up  that  little  job  down 
South;  and  you'll  write  all  about  how  things  're 
goin'  here  to  home,  'nd  I'll  write  every  week,  sure." 

"  No  ;  you'll  get  shot.  I  know  you  will  !  "  wailed 
Vic  ;  "  and  I'll  be  left  a  widow  woman  like  Grand- 
ma'am  Pike." 

This  pleased  Joe  immensely,  and  he  laughed  so 
heartily  that  baby  Nell's  lips  began  to  curl  with 
fright. 

"  When  you  look  like  Grandma'am  Pike,"  said 
he,  nestling  the  baby  closer,  "  Nellie  will  be  about 
fifty  years  old.  Don't  ye  worry  about  me,  Vic,  fer 
your  old  Joe's  sure  to  come  home." 

"  If  you  could  only  wear  a  hemlet  it  would  be 
some  comfort,"  said  Vic,  wiping  her  eyes. 


102  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Wear  a  what?"  inquired  puzzled  Joe. 

"  A  hemlet,  such  as  the  knights  used  to  wear 
when  they  rode  away  on  their  coal-black  steeds." 

"  0,  that's  some  of  your  story-book  nonsense,  I 
guess  ;  "  and  Joe  looked  slightly  annoyed,  for  he 
had  no  sympathy  with  his  little  wife's  "  helmeted 
knights,"  "  fierce  brigands,"  and  "  moated  castles." 

"  Well,  they  didn't  go  to  war  in  them  days  in  blue 
clothes  trimmed  with  brass  buttons.  You  can't 
even  have  a  breastplate,"  said  Vic,  fretfully. 

"  Speakin'  of  breastplates  makes  me  think  what 
Miss  Hancock  told  us  boys  last  Sunday.  Kind  of 
an  armor,  you  know — why,  yes,  Vic — and  there's  a 
helmet,  I  remember  now.  Let's  see.  Breastplate 
of  righteousness,  helmet  of  salvation,  sword  of  the 
Spirit." 

"  O,  I  know  what  you  mean,  Joe,"  interrupted 
Vic ;  "  but  that  don't  keep  the  bullets  from  killin' 
you." 

Joe  was  silent  a  moment,  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
floor.  Then  he  kissed  his  wife  softly  and  asked 
her  what  he  could  find  for  supper,  for  this  careless 
housekeeper  often  made  Joe  take  his  meals  in  the 
pantry. 

Perhaps  none  of  the  new  recruits  felt  more  de- 
pressed by  their  uniforms  than  the  Hickey  boys. 
Naturally  angular  and  awkward,  they  made  desper- 
ate efforts  to  conform  to  the  new  order  of  things, 
but  they  had  always  dressed  in  such  a  very  free- 
and-easy  style  that  they  rather  resented  "  tight 
clothes  with  linin's."  They  bore  up  bravely  while 
the  cheering  and  congratulations  lasted,  and  John 
Henry  was  so  elated  for  the  moment  that  he  vent- 


BLUE  SUITS.  103 

ured  to  bow  to  Miss  Emma  Alice  Green,  the  mer- 
chant's daughter,  a  white-faced,  listless  young  lady, 
who  always  reminded  him  of  an  angel !  They  also 
maintained  their  dignity  as  they  passed  Squire 
Fletcher's,  and  were  rewarded  by  Ruby's  cordial 
bow  and  waving  handkerchief. 

"  I'll  bet  she  wishes  we  was  Abram  Steele,"  said 
John  Henry,  soberly. 

"  I  heard  some  women  tellin'  mother  the  other 
day  that  Ruby  tore  round  awful  when  any  body 
spoke  about  him.  Wished  she  might  die  if  she 
ever  had  any  thing  to  say  to  him,  'nd  all  such 
stuff,"  added  George,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  don't  b'lieve  it.  Too  much  soft  wood  fer  a 
good  steady  fire.  Folks  better  let  that  fuss  alone, 
fer,  as  Hiel  Saunders  says,  they'll  find  out  some- 
time," said  John  Henry,  who  was  in  his  way  quite 
a  social  philosopher.  But  they  had  now  gained  the 
shelter  of  their  beloved  woods,  and  dared  to  express 
an  opinion  concerning  their  new  habiliments. 

"Awful  warm,  aint  they?"  said  John  Henry, 
shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"  I  can't  breathe  good  in  mine.  I'm  a  good  mind  to 
cut  and  run,"  said  George,  half  joking,  half  in  earnest. 
"We  don't  want  gover'ment  down  on  us  though. 
Let's  take  off  our  coats  'nd  go  easy  for  a  spell." 

And  so  it  came  to  pass  as  Mrs.  Hickey  stood  in 
the  door-way  with  her  hand  above  her  eyes  watch- 
ing for  the  boys  she  saw  them  coming  up  the  hill, 
the  new  blue  coats  hanging  over  their  arms  as  they 
"  loped  "  along,  laughing  and  joking  as  usual.  Her 
great  homely  boys — how  she  loved  them  !  Good 
and  honest  they  were,  and  as  shrewd  and  intelligent 


104  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

fellows  as  you  would  find  anywhere,  only  lacking 
the  refinements  of  polite  society. 

Glancing  around  from  Mrs.  Hickey's  stand-point 
at  the  front  door,  it  was  an  easy  matter  to  read  the 
secret  of  their  liberty-loving  tendencies.  The  farm 
was  on  the  "  height  of  land  "  and  the  house  occupied 
a  plateau  at  its  summit.  After  reaching  this,  and 
recovering  their  breath,  no  one  wondered  that  they 
enjoyed  living  there.  Well-cultivated  farms  lay  in 
full  view  flanked  by  green  side-hill  pastures,  such 
as  Vermonters,  having  known,  never  forget  ;  while, 
farther  on,  magnificent  forests  swept  away  on  either 
hand,  yielding  a  glimpse  here  and  there  of  the  val- 
ley below.  Against  the  northern  horizon  old 
"  Owl's  Head  "  was  visible,  while  away  at  the 
south  was  a  far-distant  range  of  mountains  which 
looked,  in  their  softened  purplish  outline,  like  a 
vision  of  dreamland. 

This  was  the  view  from  the  front  of  the  house. 
On  the  opposite  side,  and  toward  the  west,  was  a 
gradual  slope,  leading  into  a  fine  farming  neighbor- 
hood and  finally  to  the  village  of  Bristow's  Falls. 
A  stranger,  studying  the  economy  of  time  and 
strength,  would  naturally  suppose  that  the  Hickeys 
would  make  that  their  village ;  but  no,  their  post- 
office  was  Gilead  ;  and,  with  the  obstinacy  of  dwell- 
ers in  hill  countries,  they  really  seemed  to  enjoy 
climbing  up  from  the  valley,  and  felt  duly  afflicted 
when  drifted  winter  roads  or  an  ailing  horse  pre- 
vented attending  the  Gilead  church  on  Sundays. 

"  It  aint  nothing  to  go  up  hill  when  you  get  used 
to  it,"  quoth  Mr.  Hickey. 

It  is  a  striking  illustration   of  the  wise  provisions 


BLUE  SUITS.  105 

of  Providence  that  there  are  a  good  many  people 
who  agree  with  our  friend,  else  the  hills  of  New 
England  never  would  have  been  settled  ! 

The  persistent  energy  which  had  won  this  hill  farm 
from  the  wilderness  had  brought  it  to  a  high  degree 
of  perfection  ;  and  it  was,  indeed,  a  picture,  from 
the  front  yard,  with  its  flaunting  hollyhocks  and 
dahlias,  to  the  orchard,  whose  laden  apple-trees 
leaned  over  the  wall ;  and  still  beyond  to  the  wide 
corn-field,  where,  through  a  miniature  forest  of  rus- 
tling leaves,  gleamed  golden  pumpkins. 

Mrs.  Hickey  saw  it  all,  glorified  as  it  was  by  the 
sunset,  and  her  heart  ached  as  she  thought  that  her 
boys  must  leave. 

"  Just  as  we've  got  ready  to  live,  and  every  thing 
so  nice  and  pleasant,  they  want  to  go,  both  of 
'em,  both  of  'em  !  "  said  she  to  herself,  choking  back 
the  sobs  that  made  her  throat  ache,  and  trying  to 
smile  as  they  approached.  Little  Emmeline,  a 
sturdy  five-year-old  and  the  only  daughter,  thrust 
her  flaxen  head  into  view,  pushing  her  mother's 
dress  aside  that  she  might  greet  her  brothers. 
"  New  clothes  !  "  said  she,  briefly. 

"  Yes,  tow-head  !  new  clothes  ;  aint  they  pretty  ?  " 
and  they  threw  their  coats  over  a  splint-bottomed 
chair  outside  the  door,  with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"  Birds  on  the  buttons  !  "  continued  Emmeline, 
examining  them  curiously. 

"Yes,  sir;  that's  the  glorious  American  eagle!  " 
exclaimed  her  brother.  "  With  torn  pinions  he 
soars  aloft,  crying  to  every  loyal  citizen — " 

"  Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death  !  "  interrupted 
George,  as  John  Henry's  breath  failed. 


106  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  He  didn't,  either,"  said  the  little  sister,  reprov- 
ingly^ 

"  Keep  still,  George  Washington ;  that  wasn't 
what  I  was  going  to  say.  He  cries  to  every  loyal 
free-born  American  citizen — " 

"  Live  or  die,  sink  or  swim,  survive  or  perish,  I'm  for 
the  Constitution  !  "  shouted  the  father  of  his  country, 
who  was  immediately  attacked  by  his  brother. 

Little  Emmeline  instantly  retreated  to  a  respect- 
ful distance  and  stood  with  her  hands  meekly 
folded  over  her  blue  and  white  check  apron,  watch- 
ing the  young  gladiators,  whose  good-natured  con- 
tests were  a  source  of  continual  delight  and  terror. 
Mrs.  Hickey  was  glad  of  their  nonsense,  for  it  gave 
her  time  to  control  herself.  She  bent  over  the  new 
coats  and  tested  the  quality  of  cloth  and  "  mak- 
ing "  with  true  housewifely  instinct. 

"  They're  very  nice,  and  real  well  made,"  said  she. 
"  You  must  put  them  on  when  father  comes.  Here, 
sissy,  go  to  the  barn  and  call  pa  to  supper ;  it's  all 
ready  and  waitin'." 

Mrs.  Hickey  was  a  remarkable  housekeeper,  and 
the  table  around  which  the  family  gathered  in  the 
large  clean  kitchen  was  covered  with  a  tempting 
array  of  her  best  cookery. 

"  Mother  means  we  shall  never  forget  her  bis- 
cuits," said  John  Henry,  reaching  for  his  third, 
while  George  passed  his  plate  for  a  second  supply 
of  cold  lamb. 

"  It  does  me  good  to  see  you  eat,"  said  their 
mother  ;  "  I've  a  notion  the  soldiers  don't  get  much 
variety  in  their  victuals  when  they  get  down  where 
the  fiuhtingf  is." 


BLUE  SUITS.  107 

The  boys  exchanged  amused  glances  with  their 
father,  and  he  remarked  dryly: 

"  No,  mother,  I  understand  gover'ment  don't  deal 
out  fresh  bread  all  round  but  once  a  day;  dough- 
nuts not  so  often." 

"  And  frosted  cake  'nd  tarts  only  once  a  week," 
added  John  Henry,  slyly. 

"Poor  fellows!"  sighed  Mrs.  Hickey,  while  the 
boys  laughed  uproariously  over  their  joke. 

"  Mother  '11  have  to  read  up  a  little  after  you're 
gone,  I  guess,"  said  their  father.  "  You  must  send 
us  some  of  the  hard-tack  we  read  about,  so  we  can 
see  what  Uncle  Sam  feeds  his  soldiers  with." 

"If  they  don't  feed  you  well,  boys,  you  just 
come  home.  You  know  father  and  I  believe  in 
livin'  well,"  said  their  mother. 

Again  the  boys  went  off  in  a  gale  of  laughter,  and 
John  Henry  declared  he  should  die  if  she  said  any 
more. 

"  Why,  mother,"  said  he,  "  don't  you  know  we'd 
be  shot  for  deserters  if  we  ran  away  from  the 
army?  " 

"  O,  I  don't  mean  that  I  want  you  to  run  away, 
exactly,  but  just  tell  the  general  that  you  can't  stand 
the  livin'.     That's  perfectly  reasonable,  I'm  sure." 

This  "  amendment  "  was  greeted  with  subdued 
chuckles  by  the  "  men  folks,"  and  good  Mrs.  Hickey 
rambled  on,  giving  her  ideas  of  what  "  gover'ment  " 
ought  to  do  in  the  line  of  equipping  and  feeding  its 
soldiers.  If  she  could  have  had  her  way  there  would 
have  been  feather-beds  all  around,  and  plum  pre- 
serves and  cake  for  regular  rations.  The  time  came, 
however,  when   she  knew  all  about  what  her  boys 


108  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

had  to  eat  and  how  they  slept ;  but  the  lessons  of 
the  rebellion  could  not  be  learned  all  at  once  by 
busy  women  on  Vermont  hill-tops.  Little  by  little, 
through  sacrifice,  and  loss,  and  bleeding  hearts,  they 
learned  how  the  mothers  of  a  nation  can  suffer  for 
the  nation's  sin. 

But  this  good  supper  and  the  quiet  evening 
which  followed  were  almost  the  last  the  Hickey  boys 
enjoyed.  In  many  other  homes  loving  hands  pre- 
pared niceties  never  seen  save  at  Thanksgiving  or 
some  other  festive  occasion,  that  their  loved  ones 
might  remember  home  comforts  with  pleasure  ;  but 
the  time  for  their  ministrations  was  short.  Hardly 
a  week  from  the  arrival  of  the  uniforms  orders  came 
that  the  company  should  report  at  the  State  ren- 
dezvous the  following  Wednesday. 


OAT  TO  DIXIE.  100 


CHAPTER   IX. 

ON   TO   DIXIE. 

A  DRUM-BE  AT,  followed  by  the  clear  musical 
notes  of  a  bugle  and  supplemented  by  the 
church-bell,  was  sufficient  to  arouse  the  people  on 
that  eventful  Wednesday  morning.  A  very  early 
start  was  necessary,  as  Gilead  was  four  miles  from 
the  nearest  railroad  station,  which  must  be  reached 
by  eight  o'clock ;  hence,  before  the  fog  lifted  from 
the  river,  or  released  the  village  from  its  white 
envelopments,  the  echo  of  quick  footsteps  was  heard 
upon  the  plank  sidewalks.  Familiar  forms  looked 
weird  and  unnatural,  seen  dimly  through  the  mists, 
and  the  first  wagon  that  rolled  along  the  street 
with  its  silent  occupants  seemed  like  some  mysteri- 
ous vehicle  walking  in  its  sleep.  There  was  a  very 
perceptible  chill  in  the  damp  air;  and  the  new 
recruits,  as  they  greeted  each  other,  shrugged  their 
shoulders  and  hoped  it  would  be  warmer  "  down  in 
Dixie."  As  daylight  increased  one  could  see  that 
quite  a  crowd  had  collected — men,  women,  and  little 
children — a  quiet,  sad-eyed  crowd,  among  which  the 
boys  in  blue  passed  to  and  fro,  trying  to  talk  and 
laugh,  poor  fellows ! — as  though  staid  Gilead  was 
accustomed  to  convene  every  morning  to  see  the 
sun  rise,  and  they  were  in  no  sense  responsible  for 
this  gathering.     Flags  were  displayed  at  the  court- 


110  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

house,  post-office,  bank,  and  hotel,  as  well  as  from 
the  flagstaff  on  the  common  ;  and  a  short  distance 
away  were  carriages,  to  convey  the  soldiers  and  their 
baggage  to  the  station.  After  a  little  delay  the 
"  Gilead  Brass  Band,"  sadly  depleted  by  the  out- 
going company,  struck  up  "  America,"  and  the  peo- 
ple hastened  to  the  brown  church,  where  a  tem- 
porary platform  had  been  erected. 

Judge  Plumley  stepped  forward,  looked  over  the 
assembled  company,  and  in  a  voice  he  could  with 
difficulty  control,  said  : 

"  There  is  no  time  for  speech-making  this  morn- 
ing, nor  are  we  in  a  mood  for  speeches.  We  are 
here  as  loyal  citizens  of  Gilead,  to  say  good-bye  to 
the  citizen  soldiers  of  our  own  and  adjoining  towns. 
We  differ  from  many  lands  in  this,  that  our  soldiers 
are  not  such  by  profession,  or  for  a  long  period  of 
time.  You  are  still  fathers,  husbands,  brothers,  and 
sons,  going  out  from  your  homes  to  help  save  our 
country  from  ruin  in  this  her  time  of  peril.  We 
believe  you  are  truly  patriotic,  and  that  your  enlist- 
ment is  from  a  sense  of  duty.  We  shall  watch  your 
career  with  pride,  shall  rejoice  in  your  success,  and 
pray  most  earnestly  for  your  safe  return.  Remem- 
ber, officers  and  private  soldiers,  that  you  leave  be- 
hind those  who  love  and  honor  the  principles  for 
which  you  are  ready  to  die  ;  and  that  while  we  can- 
not be  with  you  we  are  still  one  in  our  devotion  to 
our  country  and  our  country's  flag.  In  the  name 
of  tliis  and  other  towns  which  you  represent,  I 
pledge  you  our  hearty  co-operation  in  the  work 
of  putting  down  the  rebellion.  May  your  lives  be 
precious   in   the  sight   of  the  God  of  battles,  and 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  Ill 

his  comforting  presence  go  and  remain  with  you 
always ! " 

Hearty  cheering  followed  these  earnest  words, 
growing  even  more  enthusiastic  as  Captain  Bartlett 
stepped  forward  to  reply. 

The  people  looked  at  him  through  tears  as  he 
stood  there  so  handsome  and  so  fearless ;  and,  just 
as  he  began  to  speak,  the  sunlight  burst  through 
the  mists,  falling  like  a  morning  blessing  upon  his 
bared  head  and  untarnished  uniform.  An  invol- 
untary murmur  of  applause  again  rose  around  him, 
and  he  smiled  in  response  and  begged  the  sorrowful 
hearts  before  him  to  accept  it  as  an  omen  of  good, 
a  prophecy  of  coming  victory,  peace,  and  reunion. 
And  then  he  pledged  himself  and  his  men  to  all 
that  was  brave,  and  noble,  and  true.  Can  such 
speeches  be  reported  ?  Can  the  present  generation 
even  imagine  what  it  was  to  live  in  those  days? 
Such  scenes  were  being  repeated  somewhere  every 
day  ;  and  every-where  hearts  beat  high  with  emo- 
tions of  self-sacrifice  and  patriotic  daring.  Every 
loyal  soul  was  aroused  and  responsive  to  the  over- 
mastering impulse  of  the  hour ;  and  eloquence, 
whose  very  breath  is  liberty,  touched  the  lips  of 
every  impassioned  orator.  To  live  at  such  a  time 
was  to  know  the  heights  of  self-renunciation  and 
the  depths  of  sacrificial  pain  ;  and  as  the  keenness 
of  that  suffering  can  never  be  portrayed  to  those 
who  did  not  experience  it,  neither  is  it  possible  to 
describe  the  fervid  enthusiasm  which  was  kindled 
in  that  hour  of  national  danger.  It  ran  from  heart 
to  heart,  turning  timidity  to  fearlessness,  self-seeking 
to  self-sacrifice,  producing  armies  of  heroes  ready 


112  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

to  die  upon  the  altar  of  their  country.  And  in  all 
this  there  was  a  faith  in  the  sacredness  of  the  altar, 
and  a  firm  belief  that  God  was  directing  in  the  con- 
flict. However  it  may  have  been  in  crowded  cities 
where  grosser  motives  held  partial  sway,  in  many 
quiet  New  England  towns  this  passion  of  loyalty 
was  nothing  less  than  religion  at  white  heat.  The 
cry  was,  in  deed  and  in  truth,  "  God  and  our  native 
land!" 

A  stranger  might  have  failed  to  appreciate  this 
fact,  for  New  England  enthusiasm  does  not  always 
vent  itself  in  noise  ;  but  one  who  knew  how  to  read 
aright  would  have  learned  the  truth  by  looking  in 
the  earnest,  thoughtful  faces  of  that  listening  audi- 
ence. When  Captain  Bartlett  closed  his  remarks 
the  people  were  too  deeply  moved  to  think  of  ap- 
plause. The  time  to  say  good-bye  was  very  near. 
The  old  pastor  of  the  brown  church  raised  his  hand 
and  said,  "  Let  us  pray  ;  "  and  a  profound  silence, 
broken  only  by  deep  inspirations  and  a  low  under- 
tone of  sobs,  fell  upon  the  people.  There  are  times 
when  prayer  is  like  the  speech  of  friend  to  friend  ; 
and  the  most  careless  hearts  were  touched  and  ele- 
vated as  they  found  themselves  commended  to  the 
guidance  and  protection  of  Him  who  was  evidently 
very  near  them — so  near  that  the  sunshine  now  fall- 
ing brightly  every-where  seemed  no  more  real  than 
his  presence.  But  with  the  solemn  "Amen,"  which 
fell  from  many  lips,  closed  the  simple  farewell  serv- 
ice. The  leave-taking  which  followed  cannot  be 
described.  There  was  Captain  Bartlett's  young  wife 
in  her  father's  carriage,  with  white,  still  face  and 
tearless  eyes  which  followed  his  every  movement ; 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  113 

and  very  near  sat  Joe  Armstrong's  little  wife  and 
the  baby,  with  her  father  and  mother.  Vic  was 
trying  to  be  calm,  but  her  most  heroic  efforts  only 
resulted  in  floods  of  tears  which  she  concealed  as 
best  she  could  behind  Nellie's  sunny  head.  And 
moving  through  the  crowd  was  Esquire  Fletcher, 
with  eyes  suspiciously  red,  telling  every  body  to 
"  keep  the  tears  back  and  give  the  boys  a  cheerful 
send-off." 

And  there  were  the  Hickeys,  father  and  mother 
and  little  sober-faced  Emmeline,  faithful  to  "their 
boys"  to  the  last;  and  David  Douglas's  brave  par- 
ents, talking  cheerily  to  him  and  to  others  whose 
friends  were  not  there  ;  and,  in  striking  contrast,  Mr. 
Rollins,  who  watched  proceedings  with  a  forbidding 
face,  ami  would  have  kept  Thomas  from  going  to 
that  "  unrighteous  war  "  at  the  last  moment  if  the 
young  man  had  not  attained  his  majority. 

Poor  Mrs.  Follinsbee  stood  a  little  apart,  with  a 
child  clinging  to  her  dress  on  either  side,  proud  as 
she  could  be  of  her  big,  soldierly  husband,  yet 
crushed  and  wretched  at  thought  of  losing  him. 
Don  Stanley,  as  straight  and  handsome  as  the  cap- 
tain himself,  had  been  besieged  by  a  bevy  of  the 
village  girls,  who  were  wonderfully  impressed  by  his 
appearance  ;  but  he  was  watching  for  one  face  which 
was  not  there.  Benjie's  opportune  appearance, 
however,  gave  him  a  trusty  messenger  for  a  hastily 
written  note  to  Esther,  who  was  at  that  moment 
shedding  her  tears  alone  and  thinking  with  a  sinking 
heart  of  the  events  she  could  not  witness.  Ruby 
Fletcher  was  with  Miss  Hancock  and  other  ladies  at 
Judge  Plumley's  front  gate,  where  she  looked  and 
8 


114  THE  GILEAD'  GUARDS. 

listened,  with  glowing  cheeks  and  changing  mood ; 
at  one  moment  protesting  that  Mrs.  Plumley  ought 
not  to  cry — she  wouldn't  cry  if  she  had  two  boys  in 
the  army ;  she  would  say,  like  that  old  Roman 
matron,  "Come  home  with,  or  on,  your  shields" — 
and  the  next  moment  she  would  be  bidding  some 
old  school-mate  good-bye  with  tears  rolling  down 
her  cheeks. 

Hiel  Saunders  stopped  a  moment  at  the  gate  to 
say : 

"  I  swanny,  it's  too  bad  to  see  our  best  boys 
a-goin'  off  this  way!  Makes  me  wish  I  could  wind 
up  the  whole  gover'munt  concern."  And  Ruby, 
with  elevated  chin,  declared  that  he  ought  to  be 
ashamed  of  himseff;  and  if  it  were  not  for  his  good- 
for-nothing  eyes  she  wouldn't  give  him  any  peace 
until  he  went  himself.  Miss  Hancock,  who  knew 
that  these  speeches  came  from  the  poor  child's  sore 
heart,  patted  her  hand  softly  and. whispered  : 

"  'Tis  easy  thus  to  give  our  anger  vent  ; 
'Tis  harder  when  we  find  we  must  repent." 

"  O,  you  made  that  up  on  purpose  for  me,"  said 
Ruby,  half  pettishly.  But  the  old  yellow  stage  and 
the  large  wagons  and  private  conveyances  of  various 
kinds  were  now  in  readiness.  Last  kisses  were  ex- 
changed and  last  blessings  bestowed.  The  officers 
gave  their  orders,  the  company  drew  up  in  position, 
and  the  next  moment  all  was  ready  for  departure. 
The  band  began  to  play,  caps  were  lifted,  handker- 
chiefs waved,  eyes  met  and  spoke  one  more  mute 
farewell,  and  with  cheers  and  music  and  flying  flags 
the  boys  in  blue  rode  away. 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  115 

Quickly  and  almost  in  silence  the  people  began  to 
disperse.  The  excitement  and  display  and  brave 
talk  were  all  over  now,  and  there  remained  for  them 
only  days  of  work  and  days  of  waiting. 

Many  a  pitying  glance  followed  poor  Mrs.  Smith, 
who  seemed  to  have  given  so  much  more  than  any 
one  else,  as  she  backed  her  horse  out  of  the  meeting- 
house shed  and  helped  the  children,  Huldah,  Abby 
Jane,  and  the  little  boys,  into  the  two-seated  wagon. 
She  had  had  offers  of  assistance,  but  only  replied, 
"No,  I'm  capable,  thank  you,"  with  the  quiet  de- 
termination of  a  woman  who  decides  from  the  first 
to  be  independent.  The  two  girls,  with  little  three- 
year-old  Prescott,  occupied  the  back  seat ;  while 
Byron,  a  sedate  boy  of  ten,  climbed  up  beside  his 
mother,  watching  her  with  some  apprehension  as  she 
gathered  up  the  reins  and  started  faithful  old  Doll 
toward  home.  He  unconsciously  raised  himself  as 
high  as  possible,  as  though  to  make  the  contrast 
between  his  father's  broad  shoulders  and  his  dimin- 
utive form  less  apparent,  although  he  felt  the  differ- 
ence most  keenly.  He  had  been  deeply  impressed 
and  his  curiosity  had  been  aroused  by  the  morning's 
proceedings  ;  and  after  they  had  jogged  along  some 
time  in  silence  he  began  to  ask  questions,  like  a  true 
little  Yankee  as  he  was. 

"  Mother,  what  does  father  and  Homer  and 
Chester  and  Pliny  want  to  go  to  war  for?  "  he  asked. 

"To  put  down  the  rebellion,"  answered  his 
mother,  recalling  her  thoughts  with  an  effort. 

"  What  you  mean  by  the  rebellion  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  Southern  States  rebelled — left  the 
Union,  sonny." 


116  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  What  for?"  persisted  Byron. 

"The  Southern  folks  kept  slaves.  All  the  black 
men  and  women  down  there  were  slaves  to  the  white 
ones.  'Taint  right,  and  the  Northern  people  said 
they  shouldn't  do  it,  and  they  shouldn't  make  any 
more  slave  States.  Then  the  Southern  States  said 
they  wouldn't  stay  in  the  Union,"  explained  his 
mother,  patiently. 

"  And  was  that  secesh — what  father  and  the  boys 
talked  about  ?  " 

"  Secession  ?     Yes." 

"  What  was  they' going  to  do  when  they  got  out  ? " 

"  Stay  out,  and  have  a  gover'ment  of  their  own." 

Byron  meditated  a  moment. 

"  And  the  war  is  goin'  to  bring  'em  back  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  and  free  the  slaves,"  said  this  far-see- 
ing and  believing  woman. 

"  Well,  if  it's  got  to  be  done  I  s'pose  my  father 
had  to  go,  and  the  boys.  Do  you  s'pose,  mother, 
they  will  whip  and  get  through  afore  next  spring  ?  " 
he  asked,  confidentially. 

"  O,  Byron,  I  hope  so,  I  hope  so,"  said  his  mother, 
earnestly. 

"  My  father'll  help  a  good  deal  ;  "  and  Byron  gave 
an  assuring  nod  of  his  big  head.  "  He's  awful 
strong,  'most  as  strong  as  a  giant.  I'll  bet  ye,  sir, 
he  could  twist  the  chains  right  off 'm  them  niggers." 

"  Don't  say  niggers,"  interposed  Huldah,  with  a 
womanly  air,  from  the  depths  of  her  "shaker."  "  I 
read  the  other  day  that  nobody  with  any  self-respect 
would  use  that  word.  You  must  say  negroes,  or 
colored  people." 

Byron  had  oceans  of  self-respect. 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  in 

"  Well,  mother,"  said  he,  "  if  the  negroes  or  col- 
ored people  get  free,  would  the  negroes  or  colored 
people  be  glad  and  hallelujah  to  the  starry  skies?" 

Poor  Mrs.  Smith's  sad,  anxious  face  relaxed  into 
an  actual  smile — a  small  one — as  she  asked, 

"  Why,  sonny,  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That's  what  Captain  Bartlett  said,  near  as  I  can 
remember  ;  and  he  said  God  up  in  heaven  held  the 
reins  in  this  war." 

"  Yes,  he  did,  mother ;  anyway,  that's  what  he 
meant,"  interposed  Huldah.  "  You  was  crying  so 
you  didn't  notice,  I  guess." 

"  That's  what  he  said,"  continued  Byron  ;  "  and 
if  God  up  in  heaven  holds  the  reins,  that  means  he's 
driving — " 

"  Yes,"  assented  his  mother. 

"  And  if  he's  driving,  why,  the  team  can't  run 
away,"  said  the  boy. 

Byron  concluded  his  reasoning  with  a  slow,  self- 
satisfied  smile,  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  horse 
and  the  slowly  revolving  wheels,  while  his  mother, 
who  had  been  looking  into  the  future  with  dreary 
foreboding,  felt  comforted  as  she  thought  of  the 
strong  Hand  that  was  guiding,  not  only  the  nation, 
but  her  own  humble  affairs,  and  would  surely  keep 
both  from  destruction. 

It  is  rather  humiliating  to  acknowledge  that  any 
thing  occurred  on  that  bright  August  morning  to 
mar  its  history;  but  there  were  a  few  men,  even  in 
Gilead,  who  looked  upon  the  departure  of  the 
"Guards"  with  unsympathetic  eyes. 

Mr.  Slocum  and  two  or  three  of  his  "  party 
friends  "  had  stood  upon  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd, 


118  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

and,  while  they  were  silenced  and  awed  by  the 
scene,  were  quite  ready  when  it  was  over  to  take 
exceptions. 

"  Looks  very  fine  to  'em  now,"  said  Mr.  Green, 
sagely,  "  gives  'em  a  chance  to  see  the  world ;  but 
they'll  change  their  tune  one  of  these  days." 

"  Yes,"  struck  in  Mr.  Slocum's  high  tones;  "  they 
haint  smelt  gunpowder  yet.  None  of  'em  aint 
killed  nor  wounded  yet.  My  boys  aint  goin\  no, 
sir!  If  this  country's  bound  to  go  to  ruin  none  of 
my  family  aint  goin'  to  have  a  hand  in  it." 

So  busily  were  these  worthies  conversing  that 
they  did  not  notice  the  approach  of  numerous  feet 
until  a  concert  of  hisses  attracted  their  attention, 
and,  turning,  they  confronted  a  dozen  boys  tramp- 
ing sturdily  along  just  in  the  rear,  their  eyes  flash- 
ing and  their  best  efforts  concentrated  upon  the 
well-understood  "  hiss." 

"  Stop  it !  stop  it  !  clear  out  and  run  right  away, 
you  sassy  little  rascals  !  "  cried  the  old  man,  flour- 
ishing his  cane  right  and  left. 

"Copperhead!  copperhead!"  shouted  the  boys 
as  they  scattered,  laughing  at  the  result  of  their  ex- 
periment. 

"  Boys  haint  no  respec'  for  gray  hairs.  They're 
all  full  of  this  ere  war-talk,  goin'  right  straight  to 
ruin  ;  don't  ye  see  they  be  ?  " 

The  old  man  did  not  realize  how  those  boys  had 
been  thrilled  by  what  they  had  heard  and  seen,  nor 
that  they  felt  they  were  vindicating  the  honor  of 
their  country  in  opposing  him.  He  did  not  even 
notice  that  they  wore  "  McClellan  caps,"  nor  know 
that    they  could   whistle  "  Rally  'round  the    flag, 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  119 

boys,"  like  a  brass  band.  So  he  and  his  compan- 
ions continued  to  discuss  government  affairs  in  dole- 
ful tones,  agreeing  that  speedy  and  utter  ruin 
awaited  the  country ;  and  little  Byron  Smith  was 
not  there  to  remind  them  that  "  God  up  in  heaven 
held  the  reins." 

That  morning  Abram  Steele  had  risen  very  early, 
and  while  Benjie  was  hurrying  villageward  he 
strode  away  to  a  certain  hill  pasture  where  he  was 
sure  to  be  alone  and  undisturbed.  He  did  not 
think,  until  he  reached  the  place  and  began  to  ex- 
amine the  fence  which  he  had  persuaded  himself 
needed  his  attention,  that  he  was  nearer  town  at 
that  point  than  he  could  have  been  at  any  other 
on  the  farm.  The  clear  tones  of  the  bell  first  re- 
minded him  of  this  fact ;  and  after  working  aim- 
lessly for  a  few  moments  he  laid  down  his  hammer 
beside  the  nail-box,  and  leaned  against  a  huge  gray 
rock  which  formed  the  corner  where  two  fences 
met. 

There  he  stood  with  arms  folded  across  his  breast, 
straw  hat  pushed  back,  and  eyes  fixed  dreamily  upon 
the  clouds  of  mist,  which,  seen  from  his  stand- 
point, were  already  scurrying  hither  and  thither  be- 
fore the  sun's  rays.  So  absorbed  was  he  in  his 
own  thoughts  that  time  passed  unheeded,  and  his 
face  became  almost  like  that  of  a  statue  in  its 
fixed  and  silent  outline. 

It  was  a  face  that  had  always  borne  close  scru- 
tiny, for  it  indicated  truthfully  his  strong,  well-bal- 
anced character.  As  the  country  people  said,  "  It 
was  recommend  enough."  But  within  a  few  weeks 
it   had   assumed    an   expression    never  seen  there 


120  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

before,  the  subtle  change  which  surely  follows  a 
rapid  development  of  mental  or  spiritual  life.  It 
was  a  typical  face — we  arc  pleased  to  believe — 
which  an  artist  might  have  chosen  for  his  ideal  of 
a  Puritan,  or  for  one  of  those  early  Christians  who 
heard  wild  beasts  roar  and  walked  upon  the  arena 
to  meet  them  without  sign  of  faltering. 

But  there  was  no  artist  to  note  symmetry  of  form 
or  nobility  of  feature,  and  Abram  himself  did  not 
even  suspect  that  he  was  capable  of  being  heroic. 
The  possibility  of  taking  a  course  other  than  that 
he  had  taken  after  his  first  struggle  had  never 
occurred  to  him.  There  are  natures  so  like  a  plumb- 
line  that  they  are  all  ready  to  be  used  in  God's  car- 
pentry without  the  endless  trouble  of  straightening. 
This  is  worth  remembering  in  a  world  where  so 
many  require  geometrical  demonstration  to  teach 
them  how  to  find  the  shortest  distance  between 
two  given  points. 

But  Abram's  high  sense  of  honor,  integrity  of 
purpose,  and  persistence  in  action  could  not  pre- 
vent his  heart  going  out  with  a  great  longing  to- 
ward the  gathering  in  the  village.  He  fancied  him- 
self there  with  the  crowd  whose  applause  he  felt 
almost  sure  he  could  hear.  He  was  proud,  excited, 
and  elated  as  he  imagined  himself  in  uniform  ready 
for  speedy  departure.  Ruby's  face,  full  of  enthu- 
siasm as  it  had  been  on  that  Sunday  evening — was 
it  a  hundred  years  ago  ? — rose  before  him,  and  he 
saw  her  dear  eyes  grow  moist  while  her  lips  still 
smiled  as  he  whispered  his  last  "  good-bye."  He 
saw  the  fluttering  red,  white,  and  blue  ribbons  at 
her  throat,  and  the  odor  of  clove  pinks  was  in  the 


ON  TO  DIXIE.  121 

air.  Hark  !  The  music  of  a  familiar  patriotic  march 
floated  up  to  his  retreat,  and  he  involuntarily  lifted 
his  straw  hat  and  straightened  himself,  sure  that  it 
must  be  the  signal  for  final  departure.  He  strained 
his  ears  to  catch  the  last,  the  very  last  cornet  notes, 
and  then  the  faint,  far-away  roll  of  the  drum  ;  and 
then — with  a  long-drawn  breath,  he  found  himself 
standing  in  the  silence  alone.  The  "  Gilead  Guards" 
were  on  their  way  to  glory,  and  he  was  left  behind  ! 

And  he  had  wanted  to  go  so  much,  so  much  ! 
He  had  understood  the  gospel  of  the  war  better 
than  had  most  of  the  boys,  and  had  been  uncon- 
sciously preparing  for  it  for  years,  so  closely  had 
he  followed,  even  in  his  early  youth,  the  develop- 
ment of  national  questions.  And  now  to  stay  at 
home  under  an  imputation  of  cowardice! 

The  "  path  of  duty"  may  be  "  the  path  of  beauty" 
indeed,  but  it  sometimes  leads  through  desert 
places. 

The  wild  birds  sang  in  the  woods  near  by  that 
morning,  and  in  a  neighboring  pasture  a  flock  of 
sheep  nibbled  between  the  stones  and  bleated  so- 
cially, while  aLl  through  the  sultry  summer  air  was 
that  "  background  of  noise  "  furnished  by  droning, 
humming,  and  buzzing  insects,  intent  on  fulfilling 
their  brief  missions;  but  Abram  heard  nothing,  saw 
nothing.  He  was  conscious  only  of  a  loneliness  that 
was  harder  to  bear  than  actual  pain.  Years  after- 
ward he  said  to  one  who  questioned  him  closely 
concerning  that  period  of  his  life  : 

"  I  can't  tell  you  much  about  that  morning.  You 
must  live  at  such  a  time,  and  feel  as  I  did,  to 
know  how  I  suffered." 


122  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  X. 

AUSTIN'S    LETTER. 

"  T  DECLARE,  if  I  don't  believe  this  must  be  from 
J.  Austin  Steele  !  It's  a  franked  war  letter,  too  ! 
Well,  well,  it's  been  two  months  or  more  since  they 
heard  from  him  to  my  knowledge,  and  now  it  ap- 
pears he's  gone  to  war;"  and  Ira  Barstow  held 
up  the  plump  envelope  between  himself  and  the 
light  curiously.  It  was  plainly  directed  to  Mr. 
Steele,  and  across  the  end  was  a  scrawl  with  "  M.  C." 
beneath,  indicating  that  it  had  received  the  name 
of  some  congressman,  which  was  sufficient  in  those 
days  to  bring  soldiers'  letters  to  the  home  office. 

Mr.  Barstow  could  not  stop  to  scrutinize  the 
letter  as  he  would  have  done  in  former  days.  The 
time  had  been  when  he  could  have  given  the  history 
of  the  town  as  it  sifted  through  his  hands  in  limited 
correspondence ;  but  soldiers'  letters  and  extra 
papers  made  Gilead's  mail-bag  plethoric,  and  the 
people,  instead  of  coming  to  the  office  once  a  week, 
came  every  night  and  crowded  the  limited  space, 
waiting  impatiently  for  the  news,  until  he  was  well- 
nigh  distracted  with  rapid  work  and  outside  noise. 
He  did  not  fully  enjoy  the  change,  for  it  seemed 
like  defrauding  government  to  push  such  valuable 
documents  into  their  respective  boxes  with  no 
time  to  speculate  over  post-marks.      Mr.   Barstow 


AUSTIN'S  LETTER.  123 

was  alone  in  the  world,  and  his  work  supplied  in  a 
sense  the  lack  of  fireside  and  friends. 

Benjie  was  late  in  calling  for  his  mail  that  night, 
and  Mr.  Barstow  felt  almost  vexed  over  the  delay. 

"  It's  from  Austin,  I  guess,"  said  he,  yielding  the 
letter  at  length  to  the  boy's  eager  fingers.  "  Your 
folks  worried  any?  Must  be  he's  gone  to  war. 
Thinks  I,  may  be  Abram  knew  it  all  along." 

Benjie  looked  at  the  familiar  handwriting,  opened 
his  lips  as  if  to  speak,  closed  them  again,  thrust  it 
into  his  pocket,  and  hurried  away. 

Mr.  Barstow  laughed  silently. 

"  Close-mouthed,  like  all  the  family,"  said  he. 
" '  Tend  to  their  own  business  and  keep  their  own 
counsel,  and  that's  all  right.  No  law  to  prevent 
that  ever  I  heard  of." 

There  was  a  commotion  in  Mr.  Steele's  sitting- 
room  when  Benjie  burst  in,  more  breathless  and 
excited  than  usual,  and  exclaiming,  "  Letter  from 
Austin  at  last  !  "  threw  it  upon  the  table  in  front  of 
his  father. 

Abram  sprang  up  from  his  desk  with  a  look  of 
relief  and  expectation  ;  his  mother  and  the  girls 
hurried  in  from  the  kitchen,  and  Mr.  Steele,  peering 
through  his  spectacles  at  the  letter  which  he  held 
in  his  trembling  hand,  said  in  the  words  of  Mr. 
Barstow  : 

"  It  appears  he's  gone  to  war !     Read  it,  Abram." 

Abram  did  not  at  once  respond.  He  had  torn  it 
open  and  was  scanning  page  after  page,  searching 
for  something  he  evidently  did  not  find  ;  for  after  a 
moment's  delay  his  face  lost  its  brightness  and  he 
handed  the  letter  to  Esther. 


124  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  You  read  Austin's  writing  better  than  I,"  said 
he,  and  returned  to  his  quiet  corner. 

"  Read  it,  I  can't  wait ;"  and  Mrs.  Steele,  with 
hands  tightly  clasped,  leaned  back  in  her  rocking- 
chair  with  closed  eyes.  Esther  bent  her  head  to 
the  lamp  and  began  : 

"'In  Camp,  September  25,   1862. 

"  '  Dear  Father  :  You  will  all  be  surprised  to  get 
a  letter  from  Virginia  instead  of  Massachusetts,  unless 
Uncle  Austin  has  written  about  my  enlisting.  As  I 
asked  him  not  to  I  presume  you  have  been  wondering 
and  worrying,  perhaps,  for  some  time.  I  ought  to 
have  written  at  once,  and  intended  to,  but  waited 
for  time  and  quiet  and  conveniences,  until  I  found 
if  such  business  was  attended  to  at  all  it  must  be 
just  when  I  could  get  a  few  spare  moments  right  in 
the  midst  of  disturbance,  and  with  no  better  writing- 
desk  than  my  knapsack  or  the  bottom  of  my  tin 
plate. 

" '  You  know,  too,  what  a  boy  I  am  to  put  off  till 
to-morrow  what  ought  to  be  done  to-day,  and  I 
dreaded  to  break  the  news  and  ask  you  to  forgive 
me  for  enlisting  without  your  consent.  But  you 
will,  all  of  you,  wont  you  ? '  " 

"  Yes,  we  will,"  cried  Benjie,  snapping  his  fingers 
and  nodding  his  head  excitedly,  while  his  mother 
sobbed : 

"  Bless  his  heart  !  He  was  always  quick  to  do 
wrong  and  quick  to  repent." 

Esther  read  on  : 

"  '  But,  father,  if  you  had  been  in  Boston  and  heard 
the   music  and  the  cheering  and  the  speeches,  and 


A  US  TIN 'S  LE  TTER.  1 25 

seen  the  flags  flying  and  the  regiments  marching, 
you  would  have  felt  just  as  I  did.  Why,  it  was 
Uncle  Tom  s  Cabin  and  Horace  Greeley's  Tribune 
editorials  and  Elder  Put's  sermons  mixed  together 
and  taken  hot.  I  said  to  myself,  "  If  father  was 
younger,  and  wasn't  lame,  he  would  go;"  and  I 
kept  thinking  of  what  you  had  said  until  it  seemed 
to  me  you  would  expect  me  to  go.  Well,  by  and 
by  I  could  not  think  of  any  thing  else.  My  appe- 
tite was  all  gone  and  my  work  was  drudgery.  At 
last  I  went  with  two  other  clerks,  who  were  going 
to  enlist  to  fill  up  the  ranks  of  an  old  regiment,  the 
— the  Massachusetts,  and  right  then  and  there  I 
gave  my  name,  and  was  accepted,  too.  I  expected 
there  might  be  trouble  about  my  age,  but  the  others 
were  older  than  I,  and  one  of  them  answered  for 
me.  He  said  afterward  he  didn't  know  but  I  was 
twenty-one  ;  if  I  wasn't  I  ought  to  be. 

"  'At  any  rate,  almost  before  I  realized  it  I  was  a 
soldier.  I  called  at  Uncle  Austin's  and  told  him  I 
was  going.  He  never  says  much,  you  know,  but 
was  sorry  I  had  been  in  such  a  hurry — said  I  ought 
to  have  written  and  got  your  consent  at  least ; 
and  I  didn't  tell  him  I  was  afraid  you  would  not 
give  it. 

"  '  Aunt  Elizabeth  said  a  great  deal,  as  her  habit 
is,  and  gave  me  lots  of  good  advice.  If  I  could  fol- 
low it  I  should  be  too  good  for  this  world.  She 
gave  me  a  Testament,  and  I  felt  real  tender  over 
it  till  she  said  she  got  it  for  nothing  of  a  Bible 
agent.'  " 

Even  the  tearful  mother  had  to  join  in  the  gen- 
eral   laugh  which    followed    this    characteristic    an- 


126  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

nouncement ;  for  Aunt  Elizabeth,  whose  wealth 
seemed  fabulous  to  her  husband's  country  relatives, 
was  far  from  generous. 

"  '  There  is  one  thing  more  you  ought  to  know, 
although  I  am  ashamed  to  tell  it.  I  did  not  go 
to  Mr.  Webber  at  all  after  we  enlisted.  We  had 
just  been  paid,  and  the  other  clerks  said  he  was  a 
hard  man  to  deal  with  when  he  got  excited  ;  so  we 
just  kept  clear  of  the  store  till  we  left  the  city, 
which  was  only  a  few  days  afterward.'  " 

Mr.  Steele's  face  flushed  and  his  voice  trembled 
as  he  said  : 

"  That's  bad  for  Austin.  He  hadn't  ought  to 
have  done  so.     That  wasn't  the  square  thing." 

"  He  says  so  himself,  father  ;  just  hear;  "  and  Es- 
ther continued  : 

" '  I  am  ashamed  of  it  now,  and  also  that  I  was  so 
extravagant  that  I  had  only  money  enough  to  get 
me  what  I  needed  to  bring  away.  I  got  to  going  with 
a  couple  of  the  clerks  who  were  not  very  good  fel- 
lows— not  the  ones  who  enlisted — and  spent  money 
foolishly.  I  did  not  realize  what  they  were  until 
just  before  I  left ;  but  I  am  fairly  away  from  their  in- 
fluence now,  and  will  try  to  be  a  credit  to  you.'  " 

"  Poor  boy  !  "  said  his  mother,  pressing  her  hand- 
kerchief to  her  eyes  ;  "  how  could  we  have  consented 
to  let  him  go  down  to  that  wicked  city?" 

But  Abram,  with  his  hands  thrust  into  his  hair 
and  his  eyes  dry  and  stern,  said  to  himself,  "  Of 
course  he  didn't  want  to  see  Mr.  Webber."  From 
his  view  of  the  case  his  worst  fears  were  con- 
firmed, and  he  felt  that  his  last  hope  was  also 
extinguished. 


AUSTIN'S  LETTER.  127 

Esther  read  on  : 

"  '  When  I  lie  down  in  my  blanket  at  night  I  think 
of  you  all  and  remember  your  counsel.  Last  night 
I  dreamed  of  that  fall  I  had,  years  ago,  from  a 
cherry-tree,  when  Abram  lugged  me  home  on  his 
back.  He  was  always  so  good  to  me — it  makes  me 
feel  mean  when  I  think  may  be  he  wanted  to  come 
down  to  Dixie — but  he  isn't  the  kind  of  fellow  to 
feel  as  I  did  about  it.  If  I  had  gone  home  to  work 
on  the  farm  I  should  have  been  good  for  nothing; 
but  now  if  I  get  popped  over  down  here  you  will 
have  the  best  one  left. 

"  '  I  meant  to  have  told  you  about  a  skirmish  I  was 
in  the  other  day— for  Benjie's  benefit — but  can't  this 
time.  Will  write  him  soon.  Meanwhile  I  hope 
you  will  send  me  the  home  news  as  soon  as  possible, 
for  when  I  stop  to  think  of  you  all  it  seems  as 
though  I  could  not  wait  to  hear.  Write  how  your 
lameness  is ;  how  the  crops  are  this  fall ;  who  has 
enlisted  that  I  know,  and  how  you  feel  about  the 
war.  If  the  folks  get  blue  tell  them  we  are  not ;  for 
we  expect  to  win  in  less  than  a  year.  There  is  a 
rumor  that  we  are  to  move  soon,  and  I  must  ascer- 
tain how  your  letters  will  reach  me.'  " 

And  with  an  animated  scrawl  of  an  eagle  sup- 
posed to  be  burdened  with  love  for  each  member 
of  the  family  Austin's  epistle  closed. 

"  Well,"  said  Mr.  Steele,  polishing  his  spectacles 
carefully  on  a  corner  of  the  table-cloth,  "  I'd  thought 
of  it,  but  he  hadn't  ought  to  have  'listed  that  way. 
Don't  take  it  too  hard,  mother ;  we're  no  wuss  off  than 
thousands.  When  a  boy  gets  bewitched  to  go  he 
seems  to  lose  his  head  ;  "  and  the  old  farmer  resumed 


128  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

his  newspaper-reading,  apparently,  although  for  some 
minutes  his  Tribune  was  wrong  side  up. 

"  I  think  he  might  have  told  us  about  the  fight, 
anyhow,"  grumbled  Benjie.  "  I'll  write  to-morrow, 
see  if  I  dont,  and  ask  him  a  thousand  questions. 
Where  does  he  say  to  send  his  letters?" 

Esther  looked  carefully. 

"  I  don't  find  any  thing— I  am  afraid — "  And 
then  they  all  examined  every  page  again  ;  but  ev- 
idently the  careless  boy,  hungry  as  he  was  for  home 
news,  had  neglected  to  add  the  information  he  was 
so  anxious  to  give. 

The  letter  was  re-read  and  reviewed  by  Esther 
and  Mary,  with  Benjie's  head  between  theirs  ;  and 
much  that  he  had  not  written  was  "guessed  at;  " 
for  a  loving  curiosity  will  press  through  the  narrow 
gate-way  of  a  pen-flourish  in  search  of  reasons  and 
motives  and  feelings  which  might  have  influenced 
the  writer.  But  in  no  way  could  they  discover  the 
lacking  address,  and  their  only  hope  was  that 
another  letter  was  already  on  its  way.  One  fact, 
however,  was  established  in  Benjie's  mind,  at  least — 
Austin  was  the  hero  of  the  family,  and  from  the 
parlor-table  he  brought  the  old  daguerreotype  and 
the  new  "  Boston  photograph,"  to  be  examined  with 
this  character  in  view.  In  the  first  Austin  was  a 
round-faced  boy  of  fourteen,  with  rigid  muscles  and 
scared  yet  resolute  face. 

"  There's  a  real  die-on-the-field-of-battle  look, 
now,  just  as  plain  as  can  be  ;  "  and  Benjie  rubbed 
the  glass  and  held  the  picture  in  a  favorable  light, 
that  his  sisters  might  catch  the  prophetic  expres- 
sion.   "  Now  see  this  one  !  "   and  with  genuine  pride 


AUSTIN'S  LETTER.  129 

Benjie  balanced  the  photograph  of  the  hero,  taken 
on  his  nineteenth  birthday,  against  a  pile  of  books. 
"  That's  Austin,  sure  enough  !  Must  look  gay  in 
his  new  blue  clothes."  But  as  he  spoke  a  mistiness 
obscured  the  boy's  eyes,  and  the  girls  turned  away 
from  the  bright  young  face  that  smiled  at  them  so 
hopefully  with  quivering  lips.  Their  mother  left 
the  room  after  one  glance  at  the  picture,  and  Benjie 
took  it  back  to  its  sacred  corner,  remaining  in  the 
dark  parlor  several  minutes  and  returning  very 
quietly.  It  was  a  grand  thing  to  have  a  brother  in 
the  army,  of  course  ;  but  one  must  be  careful  about 
these  photographs. 

He  was  soon  busy  looking  over  a  Harper  s  Weekly 
with  Mary,  and  as  they  examined  the  pictures 
which  brought  the  scenes  of  the  war  so  vividly  be- 
fore them  they  whispered  their  views  of  their  broth- 
er's future  career.  But  Esther,  with  a  sudden 
thought  which  made  her  heart  beat  very  fast,  moved 
her  chair  into  the  corner  beside  Abram's  desk. 

"  Did  you  know  before  to-night  that  Austin  had 
enlisted?"  she  asked,  in  an  eager  whisper.  He 
looked  at  her  a  moment  thoughtfully  and  bowed. 

Her  eyes  grew  large  with  surprise  and  excitement. 

"  Was  that  the  reason  of  your  staying  at  home  ?  " 

Again  he  bowed  gravely,  and  dipped  his  pen  as 
though  to  continue  writing  ;  but  she  tapped  his  arm 
with  her  knitting-needle  impatiently. 

"  Why  didn't  you  say  so,  then  ?  " 

Abram  smiled  at  her  indignant  tone. 

"  Ask  me  no  questions  and  I'll  tell  you  no  lies," 
said  he  ;  "  that's  district-school  policy." 

But  Esther  would  not  be  put  off. 
9 


130  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Abram,"  said  she,  gravely,  "  you  know  how  we 
have  all  felt.  Now,  for  all  our  sakes,  and  for  Ru- 
by's sake,  I'm  just  going  to  tell  every  body  how  it 
is.     It's  a  shame  !  " 

Abram  turned  toward  her  with  a  look  she  never 
forgot. 

"  You  wont  do  any  such  thing.  There  are  other 
reasons  that  I  can't  tell  you — reasons  that  mustn't 
be  known.  I  promise  you  to  explain  just  as  soon 
as  I  can  ;  but  till  then  you  must  trust  me — and — 
pity  me,  if  you  want  to.  If  you  want  to  help  me, 
Esther,  never  even  hint  that  you  know  more  than 
the  rest  of  the  family." 

Esther  was  amazed,  but  dared  press  her  question- 
ings no  further.  One  point,  however,  she  ventured 
to  urge,  for  she  had  felt  keenly  the  alienation  from 
Ruby  Fletcher,  and  was  eager  to  see  the  old  relations 
re-established. 

"  I'll  do  any  thing  you  say,  Abram,  if  you'll  only 
let  me  give  Ruby  one  little  hint — just  so  she  will 
understand  you're  not  to  blame." 

"  Never  ! "  said  he,  sternly  ;  and  then,  after  a 
struggle  with  himself,  he  added  :  "  Esther,  I  wrote 
Ruby  a  note  asking  her  to  see  me  and  let  me  make 
an  explanation.  That  was  several  weeks  ago — just 
before  she  went  to  the  seminary.  But  she — sent  it 
back  unopened." 

Esther's  eyes  flashed. 

"  I  didn't  think  she  could  !  O,  I'm  glad  she's 
gone,  and  I  will  never  write  to  her — never  !  " 

"  No,  I  wouldn't.  It  would  hardly  be  the  thing 
to  do." 

After  a  little  pause  he  continued  : 


A  USTIN  JS  LE  TTER.  131 

"  Don't  think  I'm  going  to  break  down  under 
this  trouble.  I  have  had  some  experience  along 
with  it  that  I  couldn't  be  persuaded  to  part  with. 
I'm  going  to  think  of  other  things,  too — like  this, 
for  instance,"  handing  her  a  geology.  "  Suppose 
you  learn  about  the  rocks  too.  Perhaps  if  we  turn 
toward  the  past  we  may  not  think  so  much  about 
the  present." 

It  is  but  fair  to  state  in  this  connection  that 
Abram  was  not  the  only  one  who  had  adopted 
study  as  a  relief.  Ruby  had  lost  her  appetite  and 
"  sithed,"  as  Martha  Thompson  had  stated,  until 
her  father's  patience  was  exhausted.  In  consulta- 
tion with  Miss  Hancock  he  had  said,  desperately  : 

"  She  shall  go  away  to  school  and  find  something 
else  to  think  about.  She  must  go  on  with  her  mu- 
sic under  better  teachers  than  we  have  here  ;  so  get 
her  ready,  mother,  and  I'll  take  her  to  Hope  Sem- 
inary." 

So  Mrs.  Fletcher  obediently  prepared  Ruby  for 
the  new  life,  and  the  stubborn  little  patriot,  after 
crowning  her  martyrdom  by  sending  back  Abram's 
letter,  made  a  knot  of  fresh  "  red,  white,  and  blue  " 
for  her  pretty  gray  traveling-dress  and  left  Gilead, 
determined  to  forget  the  past. 


132  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  XL 

MRS.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON. 

THE  open  country  is  always  conscious  of  the 
approach  of  winter.  In  city  and  town  there 
are  a  thousand  ways  of  beguiling  one's  self  with  a 
prolonged  autumn  ;  but  genuine  country  livers  un- 
derstand very  well  what  comes  "  after  harvesting." 
And  Gilead  saw  indisputable  signs,  from  lowest  val- 
ley to  highest  hill-top,  that  winter  was  at  its  doors. 
The  brilliance  of  its  forests  was  gone,  and  there 
remained  only  the  evergreens  mingled  with  sober 
browns,  which  grew  purple  here  and  there  at  sunset. 
The  summer  birds  had  flown,  and  their  empty  nests, 
swinging  on  many  a  bare  gaunt  branch,  were  but 
pitiful  reminders  of  songs  and  sunshine.  A  pre- 
monitory chill  was  in  the  wind  as  it  swept  across 
the  stubble  of  wide  corn-fields,  shaking  the  brown 
shriveled  leaves  still  clinging  to  the  low-cut  stalks  ; 
and  there  is  nothing  that  looks  colder  in  all  the 
wide  range  of  hill  and  plain  than  these  same  faded 
rustling  tatters  of  former  greenness  and  glory. 
The  farm-houses  were  all  "  banked,"  giving  them  a 
comical  tucked-up  appearance,  and  every  thing  was 
made  as  snug  and  secure  as  possible,  for  Gilead  al- 
ways expected  six  months  of  cold  weather.  Finally 
the  last  harrow-shaped  flock  of  wild  geese  had  cloven 
the  sky  and  disappeared  southward  with  its  weird 


MRS.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON.     133 

farewell  "  Honk  !  honk  !  honk  !  "  And  then,  with  a 
preliminary  roaring  in  the  wind-swept  hills,  came  the 
first  snow,  just  whiteningthe  frozen  fields  with  coquet- 
tish flurries  at  first,  and  a  little  later  captivating  the 
town  in  a  single  night,  thereby  meeting  the  general 
expection  of  "  sleighing  before  Thanksgiving."  Like 
all  genuine  New  England  towns  Gilead  made  much 
of  this  annual  festival,  not  only  by  family  reunions 
and  feasting,  but  by  attending  public  religious  serv- 
ice. So  this  year,  closing  as  it  was  in  national 
distress,  the  people  were  called  to  make  public  and 
private  acknowledgment  of  their  "  manifold  mer- 
cies." It  was  well  that  they  were  bidden  so  to  do, 
for  every  thing  conspired  to  turn  their  thoughts  in 
an  opposite  channel. 

The  "union  service"  was  to  be  held  this  year 
in  the  brown  church,  and,  by  regular  rotation,  it 
became  the  duty  of  the  Rev.  G.  Harmon  Phelps  to 
preach. 

Our  young  friend  was  nearly  distracted.  As  once 
before  stated,  he  was  from  New  Jersey,  and  he 
steadfastly  persisted  in  "  discouraging  "  the  war.  A 
fast-day  discourse  he  could  have  extemporized  at  a 
moment's  notice,  but  after  several  days  of  exhaust- 
ing brain-work  he  found  he  was  as  far  as  ever  from 
Thanksgiving.  General  McClellan  had  been  re- 
moved from  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Po- 
tomac— a  fact  which  had  caused  great  anxiety  and 
foreboding  all  through  the  North  ;  and  the  minister, 
who  had  looked  upon  him  as  a  "  chosen  leader," 
couldn't  imagine  where  the  Lord  was  to  find  an- 
other man  to  take  "  Little  Mac's  "  place.  Could  he 
have  foreseen  the  terrible  slaughter  and  defeat  of 


134  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Union  soldiers  which  was  to  occur  at  Fredericks- 
burg in  less  than  three  weeks  he  would  have  given 
up  his  task  in  despair.  As  it  was  he  gathered  up 
his  manuscript  and  took  it  down  to  his  wife.  She 
groaned  inwardly  when  she  saw  his  cloud-capped 
brow  and  fluttering  notes  ;  but,  having  married  him 
"  for  better,  for  worse,"  she  showed  no  sign  of 
distress  when  he  coolly  brushed  her  sewing  out 
of  the  arm-chair  and  sat  down. 

"  I  want  to  read  you  what  I  have  jotted  down  for 
next  Thursday,  Letty,"  he  began.  "  May  be  you 
can  tell  what  ails  it.  It  isn't  very  cheerful,  I  admit ; 
but  what  there  is  to  be  cheerful  over  I  can't  see." 

As  he  read,  pausing  occasionally  to  explain  un- 
developed points,  she  grew  more  and  more  per- 
plexed. It  would  never  do  to  preach  such  lugubri- 
ous stuff  to  modern  Puritans  and  patriots,  she  was 
sure  ;  but  it  was  very  hard  to  tell  her  husband  so. 
He  had  a  peculiar  habit — it  must  have  been  pecul- 
iar— of  clinging  to  his  opinions  with  all  the  energy 
of  his  nature;  and  she  had  to  practice  a  diplomacy 
she  did  not  admire  to  bring  about  any  change  which 
to  her  practical  common  sense  seemed  desirable. 

"  There, "  said  he,  after  he  had  finally  "  perorated  " 
the  government  into  a  strait  between  Scylla  and 
Charybdis,  "  how's  that  for  a  Thanksgiving  dis- 
course ?  The  people  will  feel  more  like  taking 
wormwood  than  roast  turkey  when  I  get  through, 
wont  they  ?     Speak  right  out,  Letty." 

"  We-ell,"  and  Mrs.  Phelps  thoughtfully  smoothed 
a  seam  while  her  eyes  kindled  as  she  set  her  thoughts 
in  order,  "  since  you  have  suggested  it,  Harmon,  I 
must  say  it  seems  more  like   Lamentations    than 


MRS.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON     135 

Psalms.  Now,  if  you  stood  at  my  angle  you  would 
see  a  great  deal  to  be  thankful  for,  and  you  would 
lay  that  sermon  aside  for  a — for  a — well,  for  Mr. 
Slocum's  funeral  occasion  perhaps."  She  looked  up, 
and,  the  merry  twinkle  of  her  eyes  proving  conta- 
gious, there  followed  a  hearty  laugh,  which  was  a 
great  advantage  every  way. 

"You  are  unmerciful,  Letty ;  but  go  on.  What 
do  you  see  from  your  angle?  "  and  the  minister  be- 
gan to  clip  the  first  leaf  of  his  "  lamentation  "  with 
her  shining  scissors. 

Mrs.  Phelps's  face  flushed,  but  she  began  bravely  : 
"  Why,  I  see  great  cause  for  rejoicing  in  the  patriot- 
ism of  our  Northern  States.  Many  of  our  soldiers 
don't  understand  much  more  about  political  expe- 
dients and  sectional  questions  than  I  do,  but  they 
know  the  country  is  in  danger,  and  are  willing  to 
risk  every  thing  in  its  defense.  This  is  old,  I  know, 
but  it  seems  to  me  it  will  bear  repeating  just  now  ; 
for  if  you  can  make  the  people  feel  that  they  are  a 
part  of  a  loyal  whole  they  will  be  strengthened  by 
it.  Secondly,  I  should  enlarge  upon  the  record  this 
town  has  made,  which  certainly  is  remarkable,  and 
just  pile  up  the  references  and  illustrations  until 
every  body  is  full  of  gratitude  and  pride.  And 
while  they  were  thinking  of  the  boys  away  down  in 
Virginia  and  in  Washington  forts  and  out  in  places 
of  danger  I  should  just  tell  them  to  take  care  of 
those  that  were  left  behind,  and  give  them  thanks- 
giving cheer  all  the  long  cold  winter.  I'd  tell  them, 
too, how  grateful  they  ought  to  be  that  this  part  of  the 
country  is  undisturbed.  Our  churches  and  schools  are 
open,  as  usua1!,  our  abundant  harvests  have  been  gath- 


130  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

ered  in  peace,  and  we  are  really  free  from  the  horrors 
of  war  as  experienced  in  the  South.  And  above  all, 
Harmon,  show  the  people  that  this  is  a  war  for  the 
right — for  liberty ;  that  it  is  God's  war  against  the 
sins  of  our  nation.  And  if  you  must  speak  of 
McClellan — and  feeling  as  you  do  I  suppose  you  will 
— don't  be  blue  over  him.  God  has  a  man  for  the 
place,  and  he  will  find  him,  though  all  the  sons  of 
Jesse  pass  in  review  and  are  rejected." 

Frightened  by  her  own  intense  feeling,  and  fearing 
she  had  said  too  much,  Mrs,  Letty  laid  her  hand 
timidly  upon  her  husband's  shoulder  and  added  in 
an  apologetic  tone,  "  Now,  perhaps  I've  said  too 
much,  but  you— you  started  me." 

Her  husband  kissed  her  hand  humbly  as  he  replied, 
"  I  licensed  you  as  an  exhorter,  but  lo,  and  behold  ! 
you  are  a  full-fledged  preacher!  Don't  say  a  word, 
yeu  are  a  regular  Deborah  !  I  begin  to  feel  your 
courage  in  my  finger-tips.  Yes,  honestly,  Letty, 
your  angle  gives  a  better  view  than  mine — for  a 
Thanksgiving  discourse — and  your  ideas  are  very 
good  indeed — for  a  woman." 

This  was  a  wonderful  concession,  and  "  Deborah  " 
was  wise  enough  to  make  no  further  comments. 
When,  a  few  minutes  later,  her  husband  stole  away 
to  his  study  looking  very  much  like  a  man  with 
an  idea,  she  smiled  happily  and  brushed  up  the 
fragments  of  the  "  funeral  sermon  "  from  the  car- 
pet. 

"  What's  come  over  your  husband,  Sister  Phelps?  " 
inquired  Esquire  Fletcher,  shaking  her  hand  warmly 
after  the  service  on  Thanksgiving  day.  "  He's  given 
us  a  regular,  straight,  encouraging  kind  of  a  sermon, 


MA'S.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON.     137 

Tell  him  I  believe  he  was  inspired.  It  was  just 
what  we  needed,  just  what  we  needed!"  And  the 
good  man's  face  shone  with  genuine  feeling. 

The  congregation  had  been  unusually  large,  and 
many  were  prepared  to  sympathize  with  the  senti- 
ments they  expected  the  young  minister  to  advance. 
He  had  more  than  once  given  them  reason  to  call 
him  a  conservative  ;  but  if  he  enjoyed  that  reputation 
he  destroyed  it  forever  by  the  fresh,  hopeful,  and 
exceedingly  practical  discourse  which  revived  and 
strengthened  all  who  listened  that  bright  cold  No- 
vember day  in  '62. 

All  sorts  of  benevolent  projects  and  charitable 
impulses  received  a  new  inspiration,  and  no  sooner 
was  the  benediction  pronounced  than  a  sort  of 
informal  business  meeting  was  inaugurated  upon 
that  basis. 

In  the  absence  of  bulletin-boards  and  daily  papers 
such  a  gathering  takes  the  place  of  both,  and 
one  "  not  to  the  maner  born  "  would  be  surprised 
to  see  what  could  be  accomplished  between  the  pews 
and  outer  church  door.  On  this  peculiar  occasion 
Mrs.  Plumley  grasped  Miss  Hancock  as  soon  as  the 
proprieties  would  admit  to  arrange  with  her  for  the 
packing  of  boxes  to  be  sent  to  "  the  boys"  before 
Christmas ;  while  Esther  Steele,  who  stood  at  her 
elbow,  nearly  forgot  to  beg  for  "just  one  day's  help 
in  making  over  a  dress,"  so  absorbed  did  she  be- 
come in  the  plans  of  these  energetic  women. 

Meanwhile  Abram  was  quietly  busy  among  the 
young  people,  enlisting  their  sympathies  in  Mrs. 
Smith's  behalf,  whose  corn  needed  husking,  and 
whose  home  force  was  quite  unequal,  in  his  opinion, 


138  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

to  the  task.  In  less  than  ten  minutes  he  had  pledged 
eight  young  ladies  and  as  many  young  men  and 
boys  to  serve  their  country  by  giving  a  long  even- 
ing to  her  interests.  It  was  stated  on  good  authority 
throughout  Gilead  that  "  Abram  Steele  had  lost  his 
reputation;"  but  for  one  thus  bereft  he  seemed  to 
have  a  very  potent  influence,  never  failing  to  secure 
plenty  of  followers  in  any  project. 

At  the  same  time  Mr.  Douglas  was  circulating 
among  the  older  people,  reminding  them  that  it 
was  nearly  time  for  their  "  annual  donation  visit." 
His  "  brethren  "  were  quite  ready  to  respond,  for 
had  not  their  minister  covered  himself  and  the 
white  church  with  honor?  Before  he  left  the  place 
a  committee  was  appointed  and  a  notice  written 
for  insertion  in  the  next  issue  of  the  Standard. 

Several  lonely  women  who  anticipated  a  sorrowful 
day  were  surprised  by  invitations  to  dinner,  and 
Esquire  Fletcher  surprised  himself  by  remembering 
Corporal  Follinsbee's  little  brood  and  sending  them 
by  Hiel's  willing  hands  a  basket  of  his  finest  apples 
and  a  pound  of  toothsome  confectionery.  But  we 
cannot  follow  all  the  influences  that  were  set  in 
motion  that  day,  a  part  of  which  were  certainly 
strengthened  or  suggested  by  the  sermon. 

"  Did  I  expound  your  sentiments  satisfactorily 
to-day,  Letty?  "  asked  the  minister,  as  they  reached 
home  late  in  the  evening  after  enjoying  the  hospi- 
tality of  a  parishioner. 

"  Your  sermon  was  excellent,  sir  ;  you  must  know 
that,  for  I  saw  the  people  smiling  and  shaking  hands 
with  you.     Tell  me  what  they  said,  if  you  dare  !  " 

There  was  no  direct  reply  to  this  until  Mr,  Phelps 


MRS.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON.     139 

had  built  a  fire  in  the  little  sitting-room  stove  and 
arrayed  himself  in  dressing-gown  and  slippers. 
Then,  while  the  flames  went  roaring  and  dancing 
up  the  chimney,  the  young  couple  sat  down  for  a 
few  moments  to  enjoy  the  coziness  of  their  own 
hearth-stone,  and  he  said  : 

"  They  liked  the  sermon,  Letty,  because  it  was 
encouraging,  I  think  ;  and  then — well,  I  may  as  well 
admit  that  they  thought  it  indicated  a  change  in  my 
sentiments.  And  all  the  credit  belongs  to  you,  my 
dear.  No,  don't  protest ;  you  know  very  well  that 
I  was  your  mouth-piece  to-day,  At  first  I  was  a 
little  spiteful  about  it ;  but  from  your  angle  I  saw 
some  views  that  affected  me  strangely.  I  wasn't 
brought  up  to  look  at  slavery  as  New  England  peo^ 
pie  do,  and  I  must  confess  my  sympathies  were  with 
the  chivalry  of  the  South  ;  but  lately  I  have  begun 
to  question  my  own  position,  and  concluded  that  as 
I  am  in  New  England  I  might  as  well  do  as  the 
New  Englanders  do ;  "  and  he  laughed  in  some 
confusion,  for  his  wife  was  looking  at  him  very  ear- 
nestly, and  her  eyes  were  sometimes  inconveniently 
keen. 

"You  mean  that  you  believe  at  last  in  the  Con- 
stitution as  it  was,  is,  and  ever  shall  be.  You  mean 
that  you  are  a  newly  converted  patriot,  and  you  are 
sorry  you  haven't  struck  a  blow  for  the  Union 
before,  and  that  from  this  time  forth  your  pulpit 
shall  be — " 

"  Divided  with  my  wife,"  interrupted  her  hus- 
band. 

She  shook  her  head  and  placed  her  hand  over  his 
lips. 


140  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  I  don't  want  a  pulpit ;  but  if  I  had  one  in  these 
days  I  wouldn't  dare  preach  any  thing  but  liberty 
to  the  captive  and  the  opening  of  prison  doors  to 
those  who  are  bound,"  said  she,  solemnly. 

"  Amen  !  "  responded  the  minister. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  plans  arranged  that 
day  matured  successfully.  The  "  husking-party  " 
took  Mrs.  Smith  by  storm,  and  to  the  unspeakable 
delight  of  the  children  turned  the  discouraging 
heaps  of  corn  into  bushels  of  golden  ears  ready  for 
market.  The  young  people  also  carried  with  them 
so  much  good  cheer,  so  many  songs  and  stories  and 
friendly  words,  that  their  visit  lasted,  in  a  sense,  all 
winter,  and  brightened  many  a  cold,  windy  evening 
when  the  family  was  "  snow-bound." 

The  "donation  visit"  also  became  a  reality.  It 
was  held  in  the  white  church  on  Christmas  eve,  and 
was  counted  a  brilliant  success,  although  by  some 
strange  yet  well-understood  policy  all  the  money 
collected  was  counted  on  the  preacher's  salary.  If 
that  particular  "  collection  "  had  been  preserved  it 
would  be  far  more  valuable  now  than  it  seemed 
that  night  when  it  was  tied  up  in  Mr.  Douglas's  red 
bandanna  for  safe-keeping.  It  was  a  time  when 
silver  currency,  like  some  people,  had  "  fled  to  Can- 
ada; "  at  least  such  was  the  popular  belief,  and  gov- 
ernment had  provided  nothing,  as  yet,  to  take  its 
place.  Scrip  was  beginning  to  circulate,  but  there 
were  also  postage-stamps,  single  and  in  little  en- 
velopes, "  tokens  "  in  the  semblance  of  a  one-cent 
piece,  and  a  great  many  notes  issued  by  business 
firms,  which  were  called  "  shin-plasters."  A  ten-cent 
postage-stamp  in  a  little  brass  frame  was  another 


MRS.  PHELPS'S  THANKSGIVING  SERMON.     141 

curious  device  of  the  times  to  be  found  in  that  won- 
derful collection  ;  and  some  impecunious  individual 
slipped  in  several  army  buttons.  With  true  Yankee 
persistence  the  people  were  bound  to  "  make 
change,"  honestly  if  they  could,  dishonestly  if 
they  must.  "  But  the  meanest  thing,"  said  Benjie 
Steele,  after  the  affair  was  all  over,  "  was  what  Rast 
Slocum  did.  He  put  in  one  postage-stamp — just 
one — and  it  had  been  used  on  a  letter !  Yes,  sir ! 
and  then  he  sat  down  and  eat  a  dollar  supper." 
Through  Benjie's  unsolicited  efforts  this  fact  was 
widely  circulated ;  but  about  ten  days  later  it  was 
discovered  that  Rast  had  been  more  generous  than 
was  apprehended;  for,  while  the  minister  had  not 
been  enriched  in  basket  or  in  store  by  his  munifi- 
cence, he  had  given  the  measles  to  every  body  who 
was  capable  of  accepting  them,  Benjie  himself  be- 
ing one  of  the  ungrateful  recipients.  This  disease, 
so  thoroughly  distributed,  diverted  the  energies  of 
Gilead  into  a  new  channel,  wherein  was  displayed 
the  skill  of  the  two  physicians,  many  mothers,  and 
our  friend  Miss  Hancock. 


142  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER     XII. 

THE    EMANCIPATION    PROCLAMATION. 

u  T  NEVER  really  expected  I'd  live  to  see  such 
A  a  document  as  this  in  print,"  said  Mr.  Steele,  as 
he  polished  his  spectacles  and  unfolded  the  Stand- 
ard of  January  9,  1863,  containing  the  full  text  of 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  which  gave  free- 
dom to  more  than  three  millions  of  slaves !  With 
intense  satisfaction  his  eyes  ran  down  the  col- 
umn until  he  found  and  read  aloud  with  empha- 
sis, "'  And  by  virtue  of  the  power,  and  for  the  pur- 
pose aforesaid,  I  do  order  and  declare  that  all  per- 
sons held  as  slaves  within  the  said  designated  States 
and  parts  of  States  are  and  henceforward  shall  be 
free!'"  He  paused,  with  one  finger  upon  the 
words,  to  ejaculate,  "  Praise  the  Lord !  How  the 
old  saints  and  martyrs  must  have  felt  when  the 
news  reached  them  up  in  the  New  Jerusalem  !  " 
"  You  don't  know  as  they've  heard  of  it  yet." 
Uncle  Rufus  made  this  remark.  It  is  sometimes 
inconvenient  to  pause  long  enough  to  introduce  a 
character;  but  in  this  case  one  word  is  sufficient 
— he  was  a  controversialist.  He  stood  in  front  of 
the  fire-place,  his  coat-tails  judiciously  parted  and 
held  out  of  harm's  way  while  his  broad  back  rejoiced 
in  the  heat  which  seemed  to  go  roaring  up  the 
broad  chimney  when  it  should  have  been  warming 


THE  EMANCIPA  TION  PROCLAMA  TlON.         143 

the  corners  of  the  room.  Uncle  Rufus  was  short 
and  stout,  with  gray  hair  rising  perversely  from  his 
forehead.  His  eyebrows  were  thick  and  beetling, 
his  under-lip  prominent,  and,  better  than  meat  and 
drink,  he  loved  an  argument.  Hence,  no  sooner  did 
Mr.  Steele,  in  the  fullness  of  his  spiritual  faith,  refer 
to  saints  and  angels  than  he  drew  his  eyebrows  to 
a  more  roof-like  projection  and  planted  his  feet 
more  firmly  upon  the  braided  rug  before  the  fire- 
place as  he  exclaimed,  "  You  don't  know  as  they've 
heard  of  it  yet." 

"  I  can't  think  but  what  they  knew  when  the 
chains  was  broke,  Brother  Rufus.  Probably  they 
haint  worried  as  I  have  since  last  September,  fearin' 
'twouldn't  come  true  after  all ;  but  they  knew — 
bless  ye,  of  course  they  did." 

"You  Methodists  take  things  for  granted  which 
concern  the  heavenly  world,"  said  Uncle  Rufus,  his 
voice  growing  loud.  "  If — if  saints  and  martyrs 
rejoice  over  the  proclamation,  then  it  follows  that 
they've  sorrowed  over  slavery  heretofore.  But  this 
contradicts  the  Scriptur'  statement  that  there's  no 
sorrow  in  heaven ! "  and  in  pure  admiration  of  his 
own  logic  Uncle  Rufus  balanced  himself  upon  his 
toes  only  to  settle  back  to  his  old  position  more 
firmly. 

"  I  don't  suppose  there  is  sorrow  there  such  as 
we  have  here,"  responded  Mr.  Steele;  "but  I  can't 
help  thinkin'  they've  known  up  there  all  about  this 
slavery  blot  and  about  the  war;  and  I  wouldn't  a 
mite  wonder  if  the  strongest  angel  there  is  amongst 
'em  was  sent  down  to  stiddy  Abraham  Lincoln's 
hand  when  he  writ  this." 


144  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Uncle  Rufus  gave  a  snort  of  opposition. 

"You  forget  the  exceedin'  sinfulness  of  war, 
which  proves  to  high  heaven  the  unworthiness  of 
,  us  poor  human  beings.  There  should  be  peace  in- 
stid  of  war  and  bloodshed." 

"  There  couldn't  have  been  without  a  compromise 
with  sin,"  said  Mr.  Steele,  shaking  his  gray  head 
sadly.  "  As  things  turned  what  could  a  President 
do  but  what  Lincoln  has  done  ?  May  be  you  noticed 
this,  Brother  Rufus:  'And  upon  this  act,  sincerely 
believed  to  be  an  act  of  justice,  warranted  by  the 
Constitution  upon  military  necessity,  I  invoke  the 
considerate  judgment  of  mankind  and  the  gracious 
favor  of  Almighty  God.'  There  aint  any  consait 
about  it.  He's  done  the  square  thing,  and  looks  to 
see  God  and  man  stand  by  him." 

"  1  don't  say  he's  done  wrong  ;  I  don't  say  he's 
done  right;  "  and  Uncle  Rufus's  eyes  grew  a  little 
fierce.  "  I  do  say  he  may  be  honest  and  make  a 
big  blunder.  I  do  say  I  tremble  for  the  future  ;  for 
a  man's  heart  may  be  soft  while  his  judgment  aint 
safe  to  go  by.  Gover'munt's  got  a  big  job  on  hand 
to  take  care  of  'em.  Can  she  do  it  ?  I  ask  you,  can 
she  do  it  ?" 

Mr.  Steele  laughed  good-naturedly.  "  We  shall 
see,  it's  likely,  one  of  these  days.  We'd  ought  to 
know  by  this  time  that  there's  ways  and  means  un- 
beknown to  us." 

Uncle  Rufus  shook  his  head  dismally  and  pro- 
ceeded to  state,  with  the  forefinger  of  his  right 
hand  beating  time  upon  the  palm  of  his  left,  how 
the  President's  act  was  hazardous  and  premature, 
how  the  colored  people  were  likely  to  abuse  their 


THE  EMANCIPA  TION  PROCLAMA  TIOiV.         145 

freedom,  and  how,  after  all,  the  nation  would  be 
destroyed  by  those  it  sought  to  save. 

"  I  see  Ben  Butler  has  some  such  notion,"  re- 
sponded Mr.  Steele,  taking  up  his  paper  again  and 
reading  :  "  '  The  institution  cursed  of  God,  which 
has  taken  its  last  refuge  here,  in  his  providence  will 
be  rooted  out  as  the  tares  from  the  wheat,  although 
the  wheat  be  torn  up  with  it.'  That's  what  he  says 
down  in  Orleans  when  he  made  his  farewell  speech. 
Nobody  doubts  but  some  of  the  wheat  '11  be  tore  up 
— North  and  South.  Haint  we  seen  it  down  there 
to  Fredericksburg  ?  But  it's  my  opinion  the  nation  '11 
be  left." 

"  That's  what  I  tell  Rufus,"  remarked  his  wife,  a 
plump,  happy-faced  woman,  who  sat  rocking  back 
and  lorth  in  the  corner.  "  I  tell  him  if  he'd  stop 
argufyin'  and  go  to  pray  in'  he'd  be  lots  happier. 
But  if  you'll  believe  it,  Brother  Benjamin,  if  he  don't 
have  any  body  else  to  talk  to  he  argufies  with  me." 

And  at  the  manifest  absurdity  of  such  a  waste  of 
time  she  laughed  so  heartily  that  her  husband  was 
obliged  to  smile ;  which  weakness  on  his  part  was 
equal  to  a  defeat.  He  was  one  of  those  whose  opin- 
ions are  always  hot  if  not  heavy,  and  such  was  his 
temperament  that  during  the  war  he  lived  in  a  tem- 
pest of  discussion.  Every  country  town  had  at 
least  one  such  pessimistic  orator,  and  some  were 
blessed  with  a  circle  of  similar  kindred  spirits  large 
enough  to  surround  the  stove  in  the  store  and 
plan  campaigns  for  the  entire  army.  And  yet 
Uncle  Rufus  was  a  patriot,  and  had  sent  one  son  to 
the  front.  His  misgivings  were  those  of  a  man 
who  could  not  see  how  good  was  to  come  out  of 
10 


146  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

evil,  or  how  success  was  to  follow  the  perplexities 
of  those  gloomy  days.  It  was  quite  a  relief  to  the 
family  when  his  visit  was  over  and  the  worthy 
couple  departed  in  their  high-backed  green  sleigh 
to  the  music  of  slow-tinkling  bells. 

"  Father,  why  didn't  you  give  it  to  him  harder?" 
called  Benjie  from  the  bedroom  where  measles  still 
kept  him  a  prisoner. 

"  Why,  Benjie,"  said  Mary,  reproachfully,  "  do 
you  think  father  would  dispute  with  Uncle  Rufus?" 

"  I  would,  now,  you  better  believe.  He  no  busi- 
ness to  talk  so  discouraging.  O,  I  heard  him  !  It's 
awful  mean,  now;"  and  Benjie's  speckled  face 
glowed  with  righteous  indignation. 

"Such  talk  wont  spread  like  measles.  There's 
nobody  foolish  enough  to  mind  it,"  said  Abram, 
soothingly. 

Benjie  gave  a  turn  and  toss  that  tumbled  the  bed- 
clothes hopelessly. 

"  I  guess  you  don't  know  how  blue  it  made  me 
feel ;  "  and  his  voice  faltered  suspiciously.  "  If  any 
body  else  comes  while  I'm  sick  I  hope  they'll  know 
enough  to  talk  sensible." 

In  response,  seemingly,  to  this  very  reasonable 
hope  came  Miss  Hancock  the  next  morning,  just  as 
Benjie  was  transferred  to  the  sitting-room  lounge 
well  wrapped  in  shawls  and  with  a  green  paper  shade 
over  his  eyes. 

"  I  thought  I  never  should  get  here,  Esther,"  said 
she,  cheerily,  as  she  stamped  the  snow  from  her 
feet ;  "  but  the  measles  have  given  me  close  work 
for  a  week,  I  can  tell  you.  So  many  sick  at  once, 
you  know.     Of  course  the  soldiers'  families  must  be 


THE  EMANCIPA  TION  PROCLAMA  TION.         147 

looked  after,  and  I've  tried  to  be  faithful — a  day 
here  and  a  day  there,  and  nights  wherever  help  was 
most  needed." 

By  this  time  she  was  ready  for  work,  having  pro- 
duced thimble,  pincushion,  shears,  and  tape-measure 
with  workmanlike  rapidity.  The  family  felt  the 
charm  of  her  presence  at  once.  Esther's  old  brown 
dress  which  had  looked  so  utterly  hopeless  all  at 
once  grew  more  promising  as  she  laid  it,  nicely 
ripped  and  pressed,  at  Miss  Hancock's  elbow.  Ben- 
jie,  who  had  fretted  and  fumed  like  a  full-grown 
man  because  he  wasn't  allowed  to  read,  beamed 
with  good  nature  ;  and  Mr.  Steele,  kept  in-doors  by 
his  lameness,  laid  aside  his  paper  as  though  he  ex- 
pected something  more  entertaining  than  that. 

*'  I  don't  know  how  I  can  settle  down  to  sewing 
to-day  on  account  of  that  proclamation.  Why,  Mr. 
Steele,"  said  she,  earnestly,  "  it  has  uplifted  this 
whole  nation.  I  have  felt  ever  since  I  read  it  as 
though  I  could  take  a  timbrel  and  sing  the  song  of 
Miriam.  Not  that  it's  the  end,  but  it's  the  begin- 
ning of  the  end.  Every  body  feels  so.  The  stage- 
driver  said  as  we  came  along  this  morning  that  it 
was  the  good  air  made  people  so  happy,  and  I  said 
in  return  that  'twas  furnished  by  government.  I 
don't  think  he  understood  what  I  meant  really." 

"  Where  've  you  been  taking  care  of  measle  cases, 
Miss  Hancock?  "  asked  Mrs.  Steele,  as  she  carefully 
deposited  the  last  of  a  half  dozen  pumpkin-pies  in 
the  oven. 

"  First  with  Mrs.  Follinsbee,  last  Sunday  night 
and  Monday.  Little  Hi  was  very  sick,  but  gained 
so  fast  Monday  that  I  left  and  went  over  to  see  Vic 


148  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Armstrong's  little  Nell.  The  child  was  comfortably 
sick,  but  poor  Vic  was  wild  with  fright.  She's — well, 
no  matter  about  that.  Then  I  got  the  young 
doctor  to  take  me  up  to  Mr.  Hickey's.  We  tipped 
over  only  three  times  on  the  way.  She  is  down 
with  pleurisy,  and  the  little  girl  with  measles,  of 
course.  I  stayed  with  her  until  Wednesday  night, 
then  went  to  Mrs.  Smith's." 

"In  that  snow-storm?"  "  How  did  you  ever  get 
there?"  asked  Esther  and  Benjie  in  the  same 
breath. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Hickey  had  a  letter  for  her  from 
Washington  ;  and  so,  toward  night — you  know  the 
storm  was  over  at  sunset — he  took  his  shovel  and 
said  he  was  going  across  the  ridge — through  the 
pasture,  you  know — to  deliver  it  and  see  how  they 
were.  So  I  followed  on.  I  could  step  in  his  tracks 
nicely,  and,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  wore  a  pair  of  John 
Henry's  old  boots." 

Benjie  laughed  heartily  as  his  vivid  imagination 
pictured  the  scene,  and  Miss  Hancock  joined  him, 
also  adding: 

"  I  never  followed  a  man  so  closely  before  in  all 
my  life.  Well,  we  found  that  poor  woman  with  the 
four  children  sick  in  bed  and  not  a  soul  to  do  a 
thing.  The  snow  was  drifted  to  the  top  of  the  well- 
curb  and  'way  up  to  the  kitchen  windows,  and  there 
wasn't  a  sign  of  a  path  to  the  barn  ;  and  she  was 
rigged  up  in  her  husband's  old  buffalo  coat,  his 
boots,  cap,  and  mittens,  trying  to  shovel  out." 

"Glad  to  see  you,  wasn't  she?"  asked  Benjie. 

"  Glad  !  She  dropped  her  shovel  and  broom  and 
took  me  in  by  the  fire,  and   then  she  broke   down 


THE  EMANCIPA  TION  PROCLAMA  TION.         149 

and  cried  as  much  as  five  minutes,  with  her  head  on 
my  shoulder.  She  hadn't  heard  from  her  husband 
and  the  boys  for  two  weeks,  and  the  children  were 
all  pretty  sick.  Byron  had  been  wild  with  fever  all 
night  before,  so  she  hadn't  slept  a  wink  ;  and  when 
she  saw  the  snow-drifts  she  said  she  felt  almost  dis- 
couraged, but  hoped  I  would  excuse  her  for  giving 
way  to  such  feelings.  I  cried,  too,  to  keep  her 
company,  and  thought  to  myself  that  any  woman 
who  could  be  snowed  in  with  four  sick  children  and 
hear  the  wind  rattling  the  windows  and  howling 
down  the  chimney  all  night  and  not  get  nervous 
would  be  a  strange  creation.  Well,  Mr.  Hickey 
broke  out  all  her.  paths  and  fed  the  cattle  while  she 
was  milking  ;  and  the  letter  brought  good  news,  and 
I  took  care  of  the  children  that  night,  and  the 
measles  all  came  out  beautiful.  So  yesterday  morn- 
ing when  I  left  her  the  world  looked  quite  bright 
again.  She's  been  spinning  a  lot  of  the  nicest  yarn, 
Mrs.  Steele,  just  as  soft  and  even ;  so  if  you  know 
of  any  body  that  wants  to  buy  send  them  up 
there." 

"  Does  she  do  all  her  work — outdoor  work  and 
all?"  asked  Esther,  curiously. 

"  Every  thing  but  threshing.  She  and  the  girls 
have  sawed  and  split  a  nice  lot  of  wood,  and  it  is 
piled  elegantly.  The  money  that  comes  from  the 
army  would  be  enough  to  pay  for  having  all  these 
hard  things  done,  but  the  children  will  want  to  go 
away  to  school,  so  she  saves  every  cent  of  it.  O,  I 
can't  see  why  she  isn't  just  as  brave  and  grand  a 
woman  as  my  great-great-aunt  who  killed  two  In- 
dians with  an  ax  when  they  were  trying  to  break 


750  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

down  the  door  !  It's  the  real  old  Puritan  foremother 
spirit,  if  her  name  is  Smith." 

"  Smith  by  marriage,  that's  all.  She  was  a  Pea- 
body,  from  York  State,"  said  Mr.  Steele,  musingly. 

Miss  Hancock  filled  her  mouth  with  pins  just  then 
and  proceeded  to  fit  a  lining  to  Esther's  waist — a 
process  which  Benjie  watched  with  apprehension. 

"That  aint  the  way  men  have  their  coats  cut," 
said  he.  The  pins  came  out  immediately,  for  Miss 
Hancock  began  to  laugh. 

"  Foolish  notion  to  use  your  mouth  for  a  pin- 
cushion, isn't  it?"  said  she.  "  I  know  it's  tempting 
Providence.  No,  Benjie,  be  thankful  you're  a  man 
and  can  have  your  coat  cut  by  a  pattern  that  gives 
plenty  of  room.  Some  dress-makers  use  patterns, 
but  I  like  the  old  way  best,  so  I  pin  on  the  lining 
and  cut  it  to  fit  before  I  touch  the  material.  I  wish 
you  had  a  new  dress  to  make,  Esther,  instead  of  this, 
for  I'm  going  to  have  good  luck  with  your  shoul- 
ders, I  know." 

"  'Sh  !  "  whispered  Esther.  "  I  wanted  one  so 
much,  but  Abram  is  short  of  money  this  winter  for 
some  reason,  and  I  wouldn't  say  one  word  about  it. 
Mother  thinks  this  will  be  as  nice  as  new.  O,  dear  !  " 
and  Esther  heaved  a  long  sigh  as  she  glanced  rather 
contemptuously  at  her  "  old  brown." 

"  Never  mind,  you  always  look  well  in  any  thing. 
If  it  wasn't  for  wearing  such  large  hoops  one  could 
make  over  dresses  much  better ;  but  there  it  is,  six 
breadths,  calico  width,  in  the  skirt,  and  all  in  plain 
sight — faded  places,  darns,  and  all.  You  might  as 
well  try  to  hide  a  rent  in  an  umbrella.  I'm  really 
tired  of  hoops." 


THE  EMANCIPATk)N  PROCLAMATION.         151 

"  Why,  Miss  Hancock  !  "  laughed  Esther,  "  I 
wouldn't  be  hired  to  go  without." 

"  O,  of  course  we  must  follow  the  fashion, 
but—" 

"  I  wish  you'd  talk  so  I  can  hear,"  said  Benjie, 
fidgeting  on  the  lounge. 

"  We  will,"  replied  Miss  Hancock,  graciously ; 
"I  was  just  about  to  say  to  Esther  that  it  would 
be  an  advantage  if  we  didn't  need  so  much  material 
to  make  a  dress  now,  every  thing  is  so  high-priced. 
Common  calico  is  twenty  cents  a  yard.  Still,  we 
must  be  thankful  we  don't  have  to  pay  Southern 
prices.  According  to  the  papers  cotton  cloth  is 
two  or  three  dollars  a  yard,  and  coffee  about  four 
dollars  a  pound." 

"  Poor  folks  will  have  to  drink  cold  water  at  that 
rate,"  said  Esther. 

"  Makes  me  think  what  a  contraband  told  the 
soldiers  when  he  reached  our  army.  He  said  the 
rebels  had  '  plenty  of  nuffin ',"  added  Benjie. 

"  Spectators  '11  do  all  they  can  to  keep  prices 
'way  up,  and  cotton  goods  must  be  scurce,  of 
course ;  but  I'm  thinkin'  the  proclamation's  sure 
to  bring  things  to  a  head  afore  long,"  said  Mr. 
Steele. 

"  That's  just  what  Mr.  Hickey  says,  but  I  don't 
know  ;  we  must  hope  so.  That  reminds  me,  Benjie, 
of  something  that  happened  yesterday.  I  rode  down 
the  hill  with  Mr.  Hickey  in  his  long  pung  with  his 
grist,  and  when  we  reached  old  gentleman  Dow's 
he  came  out  and  begged  a  ride  to  the  post-office, 
his  rheumatism  being  bad ;  so  he  got  in  and  soon 
begun  to  talk  about  the  proclamation.     You  know 


152  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

him,  Mr.  Steele,  and  can  guess  how  he  went  on, 
abusing  the  President  and  cabinet  right  and  left. 
Mr.  Hickey  is  a  pretty  patient  man,  but  he  couldn't 
stand  that  ;  so  when  the  old  man  went  so  far  as  to 
swear  at  Lincoln  he  reined  his  horse  up  and  says, 
'Well,  neighbor,  I'll  have  to  ask  you  to  get  out 
here.  My  boys  are  in  the  army,  and  they  think 
every  thing  of  Lincoln,  and  so  do  I.  He's  God's 
man,  and  I  wont  hear  him  abused.'  Old  gentle- 
man Dow  was  astonished,  I  tell  you  ;  but  he  man- 
aged to  get  out  and  hobble  into  Mr.  Gray's  yard, 
and  there  he  stood  shaking  his  fist — poor  man — as 
we  drove  away." 

Eenjie  clapped  his  hands. 

"  Good  for  Mr.  Hickey!  "  said  he.  "I'll  write  the 
boys  about  that." 

"  Perhaps  I'll  be  able  to  tell  them  the  story  be- 
fore many  weeks,"  was  Miss  Hancock's  quiet  re- 
joinder. 

Esther  turned  toward  her  in  surprise. 

"You  don't  mean  it,  do  you?  Are  you  really  in 
earnest  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  am.  Mrs.  Lovejoy  and  I  hope  to 
go  in  the  spring,  sure." 

"Who  is  Mrs.  Lovejoy?  "  and  "  Haven't  you  got 
enough  to  do  here  ?  "  and  "  We  really  can't  let  you 
go,"  came  in  the  same  breath  from  the  family. 

"  Mr.  Steele,  you  must  know  Isaac  Lovejoy ;  he 
died  late  in  the  fall.  Well,  it's  his  widow.  She 
was  a  school-teacher,  and  a  good  deal  younger  than' 
Isaac,"  replied  Miss  Hancock. 

"  Yes,  O,  yes!  I  knew  Isaac.  We  was  young  to- 
gether; but   he  bought    a    farm  in  Jeffers.     Made 


THE  EMANCIPA  TIOM  PROCLAMA  TION.         153 

money  too,  they  say.  Left  a  good  property,  didn't 
he  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  left  all  he  had,"  said  Miss  Hancock, 
dryly. 

Mr.  Steele  smiled. 

"  I've  understood  he  was  tight's  the  bark  to  a 
tree." 

"Why,  Mr.  Steele,  that's  no  comparison.  The 
bark  of  a  tree  gives  a  chance  for  growth  inside, 
doesn't  it  ?  Well,  his  soul  never  had  any  chance 
at  all." 

"  Why,  why,  I  guess  you  didn't  admire  Isaac 
much;  church  member,  wasn't  he?  Think  he's  gone 
to  heaven,  don't  you?"  asked  Mr.  Steele,  a  little 
dismayed  by  her  earnestness. 

Again  for  an  instant  Miss  Hancock  held  her 
shears  poised  as  she  replied  : 

"  Perhaps  he  did,  but  I  can't  help  thinking  he's  a 
pretty  small  pattern  for  an  angel;"  and  then,  aware 
that  she  had  shocked  her  good  friends,  she  pro- 
ceeded calmly,  "  I  was  there  a  good  deal,  making 
his  clothes — he  always  got  half  a  yard  of  cloth  less 
than  I  told  him  to — and  he  grew  smaller  and 
smaller  spiritually  every  year.  If  his  suits  had  only 
been  made  for  that  part  of  him  he  could  have 
scrimped  half  a  yard  without  the  least  danger.  He 
had  the  young  doctor  a  few  times  because  he  was 
a  homeopathist,  and  Isaac  thought  he  wouldn't 
charge  much  for  his  medicine.  One  day  he  asked 
the  doctor  for  his  bill,  and  how  he  raged  when  he 
found  he  charged  fifty  cents  a  visit,  same  as  old 
Dr.  Snow !  '  Don't  you  get  the  water  out  of  my 
well?  and  do  you  think  I'll  pay  you  for  it?'  says 


154  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

he.  So  he  changed  again,  for  he  said  when  he  paid 
for  medicine  he  wanted  it  bitter  enough  to  bring 
him  up  on  his  toes.  Well,  poor  man,  he's  gone 
now,  and  the  farm  and  stock  and  money  in  the 
banks  fall  to  his  wife.  She  says  she  wants  to 
leave  it  all  for  a  while  and  go  down  and  help  nurse 
the  soldiers.  O,  she's  pure  gold — tried  in  the  fire 
— and  money  in  her  hands  will  be  used  for  the 
good  of  mankind.     Yes,  it  will." 

Miss  Hancock  had  allowed  her  tongue  unusual 
freedom,  for  in  it  was  the  "  law  of  kindness ;  "  but, 
as  she  was  wont  to  say,  she  had  "  no  patience  with 
downright  stinginess." 

In  Mr.  Steele's  family  she  found  a  sympathy  and 
appreciation  lacking  elsewhere  for  her  pet  theo- 
ries, but  checked  herself  like  a  wise  woman  even 
while  the  spice  of  gossip  was  most  tempting,  much 
to  Benjie's  disappointment. 

"  Let  the  dead  rest  in  peace,"  said  she  ;  "  let  us 
hope  blessings  came  to  Isaac  as  they  did  to  his 
wife  when  he  went.  At  any  rate,  she  has  the 
money  now,  and  we  are  going  together  where  it 
will  help  the  poor  suffering  boys." 

And  so  again  the  conversation  turned  into  the 
usual  channel  as  her  future  prospects  were  can- 
vassed. 

"  One  good  thing  about  your  going  is  that  prob- 
ably you  wont  have  to  stay  long,"  said  Mr.  Steele, 
confidently ;  "  for  I  do  think  the  rebellion  must 
yield,  now  the  cause  is  removed.  And  it's  good  to 
believe  that  the  nations  of  the  earth  '11  stand  by 
Lincoln's  proclamation." 


"it's  a  telegram;  prob'ly  somebody's  killed. 

Page  155. 


A  FALLEN  LLERO.  155 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

A  FALLEN  HERO. 

A  BOY  came  riding  into  the  village  one  even- 
ing early  in  April,  his  horse  bespattered  with 
mud  ;  and,  drawing  rein  before  the  post-office,  in- 
quired for  Judge  Plumley.  Mr.  Barstow  hurried  to 
the  door  to  ask,  "  What's  the  news?  " 

"  Don't  know,"  replied  the  messenger.  "  It's  a 
telegram;  prob'ly  somebody's  killed;"  and  he 
urged  his  tired  horse  up  the  street  toward  the 
judge's  pleasant  home. 

Within  an  hour  the  news  had  passed  from  lip 
to  lip  that  Captain  Plumley,  of  the  cavalry,  had 
been  shot  and  instantly  killed  !  He  had  been  one 
of  the  first  to  enlist  from  Gilead  in  '61,  and  had 
been  promoted  from  a  private's  position  on  account 
of  his  bravery.  Other  soldiers  who  were  well  known 
all  through  that  region  had  fallen  among  the  early 
recruits;  they  had  fallen  at  Lee's  Mills  and  Will- 
iamsburg, at  Golden's  Farm,  Savage  Station,  and 
White  Oak  Creek,  and  others  had  died  in  hospitals  ; 
but  Charlie  Plumley  was  the  first  taken  from  the 
heart  of  the  town.  Every  body  had  known  and 
respected  him  and  watched  with  commendable 
pride  his  career  in  the  army.  And  now  he  was 
gone  !  The  curtains  of  his  old  home  were  lowered, 
crape    fluttered    from     the    door-knob,   his    father 


156  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

bowed  his  head  in  speechless  sorrow,  and  his  moth- 
er sat  in  her  darkened  room,  empty-handed  and 
alone,  mourning  for  her  first-born.  And  the  people 
— undemonstrative  by  nature  and  habit- — passed  to 
and  fro  with  sad  faces  and  spoke  in  low  tones  of 
their  common  loss.  In  the  general  eagerness  to 
hear  the  particulars,  the  first  letter,  written  by  a 
comrade  to  Dr.  Adams,  was  read  in  the  post-office, 
where  men  had  so  often  gathered  with  anxious 
faces  to  listen  to  news  from  the  front.  The  young 
doctor  sat  upon  a  box  and  leaned  his  head  upon 
his  hand,  almost  overcome  by  what  was  to  him  no 
common  grief,  while  he  read  as  follows: 

"  Captain  Plumley  came  along  past  our  tent  about 
one  in  the  morning  of  the  first  day  of  April  and 
wanted  all  who  had  horses  good  for  any  thing  to 
mount  up  as  soon  as  possible,  for  they  were  going 
to  catch  Mosby.  That  was  just  what  we  wanted  to 
do,  and  we  were  soon  ready  and  on  our  way.  They 
had  left  Drainsville  and  stopped  at  a  plantation  a  few 
miles  from  there,  where  we  found  them  about  seven 
o'clock. 

"  Captain  Plumley  took  the  lead  with  his  com- 
pany, and  I  was  one  in  the  front  set  of  fours,  and 
therefore  received  their  first  fire,  which  came  unex- 
pectedly to  us  all.  We  expected  to  surprise  them, 
but  found  them  mounted  and  ready  to  receive  us. 
In  the  first  fire  Captain  Plumley  fell  on  my  left 
with  six  balls  through  his  body.  They  did  not  hit 
me  that  fire.  They  charged  again,  and  some  of  the 
horses  began  to  rear  and  pitch  every  way,  and 
either  with  or  without  help  to  wheel  around  and 
run.     Most  of  us  who  stood  our  ground  were  either 


A  FALLEN  HERO.  157 

killed  or  wounded.  A  rebel  rode  up  toward  me 
and  we  commenced  firing  at  each  other.  He  hit 
me  twice,  the  first  ball  passing  through  my  leg,  and 
as  the  second  passed  through  my  thigh,  I  rolled  off 
my  horse  without  much  exertion  on  my  part,  I  as- 
sure you.  As  soon  as  I  could  I  raised  my  head  on 
my  hand  to  see  what  was  going  on  in  other  parts 
of  the  field.  Every  horse  was  turned  and  running 
for  the  woods.  I  then  looked  the  other  way  and 
saw  our  good  captain  lying  upon  his  face.  I  worked 
myself  along  to  him  and  got  there  just  as  a  rebel 
came  to  take  his  arms  and  mine.  I  asked  him  to 
help  me  turn  him  over  on  his  back,  which  he  did. 
He  did  not  speak  after  I  got  to  him.  I  held  his 
head  while  he  breathed  his  last,  then  laid  a  rail 
under  it  and  made  my  way  to  a  house  which  was  a 
few  rods  off." 

The  doctor  paused,  his  voice  shaken  with  emo- 
tion. After  a  moment's  silence  he  said,  "  That  is  all. 
We  know  how  he  lived ;  this  tells  how  he  died." 

Very  quietly  the  little  company  dispersed,  asking 
themselves,  "  Who  will  be  the  next  to  fall  ?" 

A  few  days  later  the  body  of  the  brave  captain 
was  returned  to  the  old  home,  and  the  day  fol- 
lowing— a  bright,  clear  spring  day — his  funeral  was 
held  in  the  brown  church.  Such  gatherings  were 
not  rare  in  the  early  part  of  the  war,  but,  alas  !  there 
came  a  time  when  the  dead  heroes  were  buried  far 
away  from  their  kindred  dust.  It  was  a  quiet  crowd 
of  mourners  that  came  together,  filling  the  pews, 
the  aisles,  the  gallery,  and  the  vestibule,  many 
wearing  tokens  of  bereavement,  many  who  could 
sympathize  with  the  stricken  family. 


158  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Within  the  altar  was  the  casket  containing  the 
young  captain's  body.  Upon  it  lay  his  cavalry  hat, 
sword,  and  gloves,  while  over  the  lower  part  was 
thrown  the  flag  for  which  he  had  died.  The  old  pas- 
tor slowly  ascended  the  pulpit-stairs  accompanied 
by  Mr.  Phelps,  the  pastor  of  the  other  church.  The 
music  of  the  opening  hymn  filled  the  house,  hushing 
the  already  subdued  audience,  and  precious  words  of 
consolation  from  God's  word  were  read.  Then  the 
young  minister,  with  uplifted  hand,  said,  "Let  us 
pray."  An  instant's  pause,  and  then  came  the  words, 
"  O,  thou  God  of  battles,  thou  Saviour  of  suffering 
humanity,  draw  very  near  us  to-day."  Thus  far,  and 
his  voice  failed,  breaking  into  an  irrepressible  sob 
as  he  bowed  his  head  upon  the  Bible.  A  wave  of 
emotion  passed  through  the  audience,  to  which 
every  heart  seemed  to  respond.  For  a  moment 
hard-faced  men  wept  like  children,  and  women 
sobbed  aloud.  All  the  days  and  nights  of  watching 
and  waiting,  all  the  hopes  and  fears  and  bereave- 
ments of  the  past  and  the  dreaded  uncertainties  of 
the  future,  as  connected  with  those  perilous  times, 
seemed  condensed  in  that  brief  and  bitter  experi- 
ence. 

And  yet  there  was  in  it  an  element  of  almost 
sacred  tenderness  which  cannot  be  described.  But 
this  scene  was  only  for  a  moment.  Then  again  the 
voice  of  prayer  was  heard,  gradually  leading  the 
congregation  to  the  Source  of  comfort  and  strength. 
And  this  was  the  hour  when  Mr.  Phelps  began  to 
understand  fully  the  meaning  of  the  "  great  con- 
test." As  he  listened  to  the  old  pastor's  touching 
remarks  his  soul,  melted  into  self-forgetfulness  as 


A  FALLEN  HERO.  159 

never  before,  took  upon  itself  a  little  of  that  burden 
which  has  rested  and  must  ever  rest  upon  those 
who  help  rid  the  world  of  evil. 

After  the  sad  service  was  over  a  large  part  of  the 
audience  accompanied  the  friends  to  the  grave-yard 
a  half  mile  distant.  Immediately  following  the 
hearse  walked  a  young  negro  leading  the  captain's 
horse,  with  empty  saddle  in  place,  ready  for  the 
swift  rider  whose  last  charge  had  been  made.  The 
negro  was  a  "  contraband  "  who  had  found  his  way 
into  camp  and  attached  himself  uninvited  to  the 
captain's  service,  making  himself  useful  and  finally 
indispensable.  His  tears  that  day  fell  freely,  and  he 
said,  over  and  over, 

"  I'se  los'  my  good  friend." 

And  this  was  the  "home-coming"  of  one  of  the 
"boys."  Under  the  notice  of  his  death  which  Miss 
Hancock  placed  in  her  quaint  scrap-book  she  pasted 
this  little  clipping: 

"  In  the  city,  in  the  village, 

In  the  hamlet  far  away, 
Sit  the  mothers,  watching,  waiting, 

For  their  soldier-boys  to-day. 
They  are  coming,  daily  coming. 

One  by  one  and  score  by  score, 
In  their  leaden  casings  folded, 

Underneath  the  flag  they  bore." 

"I  almost  envied  Charlie  to-day,"  said  Abram,  as 
Esther  came  to  her  favorite  chair  beside  his  desk 
after  the  excitement  of  the  day  was  over. 

"  O,  no,  don't  say  that!"  and  Esther  looked  at 
him  sadly,  for  to  her  there  had  been  nothing  so  ap- 
parent as  the  universal  distress  over  what  seemed  a 
cruel  sacrifice. 


160  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  But  he  will  always  be  counted  with  martyrs  and 
heroes.  And  isn't  it  better  to  do  something  and 
die  than  to  live  and  live  until  you  forget  how  to  en- 
joy or  suffer?" 

"  Abram  Steele  !  "  said  Esther,  earnestly,  "  you 
talk  as  though  you  had  outlived  your  usefulness.  It 
isn't  like  you  to  say  such  things.  If  he  went  to  war 
because  it  was  his  duty,  and  you  stay  here  because 
it  is  your  duty,  what's  the  difference?" 

"That's  the  way  I  argue  myself,"  said  Abram, 
with  a  smile;  "but  I  tell  you,  Esther,  there's  noth- 
ing harder  than  to  live  day  after  day  and  rejoice  in 
doing  what  you  don't  like  to  do.  There  !  I've  said 
it,  and  now  I  feel  better.  Generally  I  can  be  satis- 
fied, because  nobody  likes  to  shirk  his  duty  ;  but 
sometimes,  like  to-day,  I  feel  actually  leg-weary  try- 
ing to  be  good.  I'm  like  a  baby  crying  when  no- 
body knows  what  it  wants.  And  there  was  Charlie 
— he  fought,  gathered  all  the  struggle  into  a  few 
minutes,  and  there  he  lay  with  a  smile  on  his  face 
like  a  conqueror." 

Esther's  face  glowed  with  sympathy  for  her  de- 
sponding brother. 

"  I  know  something  about  it,  Abram.  You  will 
laugh,  but  it  seems  like  a  waking-up  pain.  You 
know  when  your  foot  is  asleep  it  aches  and  tingles 
when  it  wakes  up.  I  was  telling  Miss  Hancock 
about  it,  and  she  understood  and  felt  that  way  her- 
self. She  said  it  was  because  of  the  war.  I  suppose 
she  has  a  chance  to  forget  it  now  she's  got  to  work. 
Did  I  tell  you  ?  Mrs.  Phelps  has  had  a  letter,  and 
they're  in  Washington,  expecting  to  be  sent  to  the 
front  in  a  few  days.     I  could  have  read  it,  but  Mrs. 


A  FALLEN  HERO.  161 

Fletcher  has  it.  Miss  Hancock  seems  perfectly- 
happy  and  well,  Mrs.  Phelps  says." 

"  By  the  way,  how  did  Mrs.  Phelps  seem  to  feel 
about  her  husband's  breaking  down  so  in  the 
prayer?"  asked  Abram. 

"  I  don't  think  he  broke  down.  Why,  Abram, 
I  think — well,  I'm  so  glad  he  could  ;  and  I  really 
believe  that's  what  made  her  look  so  exalted  after 
the  service." 

"  O,  I  was  glad,  too ;  but  a  few  months  ago 
Brother  Phelps  would  have  felt  himself  disgraced 
forever.  He  has  changed  wonderfully  of  late.  It 
began  with  his  Thanksgiving  sermon,  I  think. 
Somebody  was  saying  to-day  that  Elder  Putnam's 
mantle  must  have  fallen  upon  him." 

"  It's  good  to  think  so,"  said  Esther,  heartily. 
"  How  glad  our  boys  must  be  to  have  Mr.  Putnam 
for  their  chaplain  at  last !  " 

"Ah!  did  that  news  come  in  Don's  letter?" 

Esther  glanced  warningly  toward  the  rest  of  the 
family  gathered  around  the  long  table. 

"  Yes.  He  said  they  had  got  him  at  last,  and  he 
was  doing  the  soldiers  ever  so  much  good.  But, 
Abram,  you  mustn't  laugh  at  me.  He  doesn't 
write — they're  just  friendly  letters.  Of  course  as 
long  as  the  Guards  stay  in  camp  they  have  lots  of 
spare  time.  Probably  after  they're  sent  to  the 
front—" 

Abram  laughed,  for  Esther's  face  had  been  grow- 
ing rosier  with  every  word,  and  he  interrupted  her. 

"  O,  yes,  he  will.  He  will  write  just  the  same.  I 
only  wish  mother  could  be  persuaded  that  he  is  all 
right  and  have  a  little  sympathy  for  Mrs.  Stanley." 
11 


162  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  But,  Abram,"  said  Esther,  anxious  to  change 
the  subject,  "  seems  to  me  you  needn't  talk  about 
other  people  writing.  Somebody  must  get  volumes 
from  you.  I  believe  it's  your  postage  that  keeps 
you  feeling  so  poor  these  days." 

For  answer  Abram  handed  his  sister  an  agricult- 
ural paper,  pointing  to  an  article. 

"  Read  that,"  said  he. 

"  O,  you  want  me  to  keep  still  now.  I  never  read 
any  thing  in  this  paper  but  the  stories  and  the 
housekeeper's  corner." 

Nevertheless  she  read  "  A  Plea  for  Shrubbery  and 
Shade-trees,"  and  a  something  in  its  construction, 
a  something  which  reveals  the  personality  of  an  au- 
thor, made  her  turn  to  Abram  with  a  look  of  de- 
lighted surprise. 

"Why,  you  wrote  it  yourself!  It  sounds  just 
like  you.  Who  told  you  to?  When  did  you  begin  ? 
Do  they  pay  you  for  it  ?  " 

Abram  laughed  as  he  had  not  for  weeks.  It 
seemed  so  pleasant  to  tell  his  one  little  comfortable 
secret. 

"  O,  I  began  some  time  ago,  first  for  the  Stand- 
ard. Then  King  advised  me  to  try  this  paper,  and 
they  pay — not  very  much,  but  enough  to  satisfy  me 
for  the  present." 

Esther  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Isn't  it  grand  to  be  a  man  and  have  so  many 
ways  to  earn  money !  I  believe  you're  bound  to  be 
rich  sometime.  And,  Abram,  I've  a  good  mind  to 
tell  you  what  I've  been  thinking  of.  Do  you  think 
I  could  teach  school  this  coming  summer?  Mary 
is  all  the  help  mother  will  need,  and  of  course  she 


A  FALLEN  HERO.  163 

wont  go  to  school  herself — Mary  has  finished  every- 
thing they  teach  here — so  I'm  not  really  needed ; 
and  it  would  seem  so  good  to  earn  something." 

"  Why,  that's  a  splendid  plan ; "  and  Abram 
whirled  around  in  his  chair  with  sudden  animation. 
"  Let's  see.  You're  eighteen,  and  people  know 
you've  had  two  terms  in  the  academy  at  the  Center. 
Yes,  I'm  sure  you  could.  Had  you  thought  where 
you'd  like  to  teach?  " 

"Yes,  in  the  'mountain  district.'  There's  Vic 
Armstrong,  you  know,  and  that  nice  Mrs.  Stubbs — " 

"  Yes,  and  Mrs.  Stanley,"  added  Abram,  with  a 
smile.  "  I'll  find  out  who  the  committee  is  and  see 
him  right  away." 

Every  dollar  saved  or  earned  meant  much  to 
Abram,  and,  although  he  was  willing  to  bear  the  bur- 
den of  debt  alone,  Esther's  proposition  seemed  like 
very  tangible  sympathy  ;  and  they  continued  to  dis- 
cuss the  subject  with  considerable  enthusiasm.  Mrs. 
Steele  glanced  toward  them  occasionally,  wondering 
how  they  could  have  so  soon  forgotten  the  scenes 
of  the  afternoon.  They  had  not  forgotten ;  but 
youth  is  strong  and  hopeful,  and,  in  spite  of  tragic 
news  and  heartaches  and  tears  and  new-made  graves, 
the  spirit  of  those  days  was  one  of  intense  earnest- 
ness and  action. 


164  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

ESTHER'S    SCHOOL. 

BEFORE  the  "first  Monday  in  June,"  which 
was  the  orthodox  beginning  for  a  country 
school  in  '63,  Esther's  certificate  was  lawfully  se- 
cured, and  she  was  engaged  to  teach  twelve  weeks 
in  the  mountain  district.  Mr.  Stubbs,  the  commit- 
tee, agreed  to  pay  her  one  dollar  and  a  half  per 
week,  and  she  was  to  "board  around."  He  did  not 
fail  to  remind  her  that  most  beginners  got  but  a 
dollar  and  a  quarter,  which  inspired  Esther  with  a 
most  heroic  resolution  to  work  very  hard  and  prove 
her  right  to  such  munificent  wages.  She  was  a 
happy  girl  when  on  that  first  morning  she  entered 
the  trim  little  school-house  with  its  newly  washed 
floor,  its  atmosphere  fragrant  with  the  odors  of 
spruce  and  maple-boughs  which  decorated  the 
walls,  its  seats  occupied  by  twenty-four  bright- 
eyed  boys  and  girls — most  of  them  barefoot — who 
bent  upon  her  their  silent  scrutiny.  She  was  sure 
this  "double  jury"  could  see  how  her  palpitating 
heart  interfered  with  the  little  opening  speech  she 
had  so  carefully  prepared,  and  laughed  in  its  sleeves 
over  her  awkwardness  in  "  forming  classes."  Never 
was  a  girl  more  willing  to  receive  counsel  than  was 
she,  when,  after  the  perplexities  of  the  day  were 
over,  she  climbed  the  hill  through  the  woods  to  Mr. 


ESTHER'S  SCHOOL.  165 

Stubbs's,  where  she  was  to  board  the  first  week. 
And  he  was  glad  to  give  it. 

"  I  don't  s'pose  you  could  find  a  loyaler  deestrict 
in  all  Gilead  than  our'n,"  said  he,  as,  minus  coat 
and  collar,  he  tilted  back  in  his  chair  on  the  "  front 
platform"  after  tea.  "There's  ten  voters  out  of 
nineteen  gone  a'ready ;  and  that  leaves  desp'rate  few 
men  in  case  of  a  fire.  And  I  don't  s'pose  there's  an 
easier  managed  school  in  all  Gilead  than  our'n.  If 
you  want  to  make  the  children  think  every  thing  of 
you  just  learn  'em  to  sing  these  'ere  war  songs.  It 
beats  all  how  they  can  sing.  That  little  Irene 
Wells  is  a  regular  bobolink,  and  Florry  and  Flo- 
rindy  Gray  aint  fur  behind.  The  master  we  had 
last  winter  said  he  never  see  any  thing  like  it  in  his 
travels." 

As  Esther,  listened  her  eyes  feasted  upon  the 
scene  before  her.  The  mountain  district  was  a  little 
settlement  made  within  a  few  years  by  clearing  the 
land  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  and  up  its  sloping 
sides,  and  building  little  houses  here  and  there,  sev- 
eral of  which  were  of  logs  ;  so  that  while  Esther  was 
only  two  miles  from  her  father's  farm  she  was  virt- 
ually in  the  "backwoods."  Mr.  Stubbs's  house 
was  rather  more  pretentious  than  most  of  the 
others,  as  it  was  painted  white,  and  contained  six 
rooms ;  but  its  attractiveness  was,  after  all,  due  to 
Mrs.  Stubbs's  care  and  neatness.  She  had  a  genius 
for  home-making  and  housekeeping,  and  no  one 
could  step  within  the  door  without  feeling  it.  Her 
rooms  were  sweetly  clean,  even  to  the  kitchen-floor, 
made  of  white  hard-wood,  which  the  neighbors  said 
was  so  smooth    that  flies   couldn't  walk  across   it 


166  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

without  slipping  down  !  Every  thing  seemed  to 
know  its  place  and  stay  there,  from  the  almanac 
on  its  nail  under  the  clock  to  the  patch-work 
holder,  which  always  hung  close  to  the  turkey's 
wing  with  its  red  flannel  shield,  answering  to  the 
modern  dust-brush.  Mrs.  Stubbs  was  also  a  wonder- 
ful cook. 

"  What  kind  of  flour  do  you  use,  and  where  do 
you  get  your  spices?"  her  neighbors  would  ask, 
viewing  her  puffy  biscuits  and  fragrant  tea-cakes 
with  jealous  eyes. 

"  Same  as  you,"  she  always  replied,  with  a  cheery 
laugh. 

But  her  care-taking  was  by  no  means  confined  to 
'the  house.  Her  front  yard  was  her  pride  and 
delight.  It  was  bounded  on  the  south  and  west  by 
the  roadway,  with  grass  growing  between  the  ruts, 
on  the  east  by  a  rhythmical  brook,  and  on  the 
north  by  primitive  forest,  a  part  of  which  was  Mr. 
Stubbs's  "  wood-lot."  When  a  clearing  for  the  new 
house  was  made  Mrs.  Stubbs  had  begged  her  hus- 
band to  leave  a  part  of  the  stumps  for  her.  The 
tops  of  these  she  had  excavated  and  filled  with  rich 
soil,  and  all  over  them  were  now  growing  morn- 
ing-glories and  nasturtiums — she  said  "  sturtions  " — 
and  myrtle  and  creepers  of  all  kinds,  even  to  a  lux- 
uriant hop-vine,  which  climbed  up  a  sort  of  liberty- 
pole  arrangement  and  threw  its  tendrils  out  to  a 
neighboring  tree.  On  the  side  near  the  woods  she 
left  tangles  of  blackberry-bushes  and  tall  dogwood 
shrubs,  while  a  little  farther  along  were  dewberry- 
vines,  checker-berry,  and  bunch  plums,  with 
all   their  original  flavor.      She   took   special   pride, 


ESTHER'S  SCHOOL.  167 

however,  in  her  flower-beds  on  either  side  of  the 
path  leading  to  the  front  door.  These  were'  in 
the  form  of  circles  and  fat  hearts ;  and  in  them 
flourished  hollyhocks  and  bachelor's-buttons,  tiger- 
lilies,  honeysuckles,  marigolds,  fly-catchers,  peonies, 
china-asters,  and  bunch  pinks,  which  she  called 
"  poor  relations,"  because  of  their  tendency  to  wan- 
der in  "  by  and  forbidden  ways,"  and  appear  sud- 
denly where  they  were  not  wanted.  But  time  fails 
to  mention  all  the  dear  old-fashioned  flowers  that 
helped  make  up  a  display  which  was  so  natural  and 
wild  in  its  setting  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  seeds 
must  have  been  dropped  from  above  by  some  lavish, 
careless  hand.  We  are  aware  that  Mr.  Stubbs  and 
Esther  have  been  lost  sight  of  in  this  flowery  inter- 
lude, but  he  has  been  talking  all  the  while,  and  she 
dutifully  listening,  even  while  her  eyes  caressed  each 
flower  and  bud  and  sturdy  plant. 

"  Make 'em  feel  good  where  you  go  to  board," 
said  he.  "  Talk  about  the  scholars  as  though  they 
was  all  bright  as  buttons.  Makes  parents  feel  good 
when  you  praise  their  childern." 

"  What  if  they  are  really  stupid  and  troublesome  ?  " 
asked  Esther. 

"  That  would  be  bad,  of  course  ;  but  it  never  helps 
matters  none  to  tell  them  things.  You  can't  please 
'em  unless  you  seem  interested  in  their  scholars,  and 
if  you  don't  please  'em  you  can't  do  'em  any  good." 

"  I'm  afraid  you're  a  little  deceptive,  father,"  said 
Mrs.  Stubbs,  who,  having  finished  her  household 
duties,  had  seated  herself  near  them,  knitting  in 
hand. 

"  We're  all  deceptive  when  we  try  to  make  things 


108  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

better  'n  they  be,  hey  ?  Stop  rootin'  'round  your  old 
stumps,  then,  tryin'  to  make  b'lieve  they're  piles  of 
posies.  Stop  rootin',  I  tell  you  ;  "  and  at  his  delight 
in  catching  his  wife  in  her  own  trap  he  laughed  until 
he  nearly  fell  from  his  chair. 

"  I  think  you  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Stubbs,  to  tell 
me  about  the  children  and  their  parents,"  said 
Esther.  "  I'm  sure  it  will  be  a  help  to  me.  I 
wasn't  really  acquainted  with  any  one  over  here 
except  Mrs.  Stanley  and  Vic  Armstrong." 

"Poor  Mis'  Stanley;  she  seems  kind  o'  pinin' 
since  Donald  went  away,  and  no  wonder.  I  know 
how  it  is  since  my  Theodore  went.  As  for  N'xztoxy 
Armstrong,  if  she  would  go  to  work  and  make 
something  of  herself  while  Joe's  gone  may  be  the 
Lord  would  forgive  her  for  the  time  she's  wasted 
so  far;"  and  Mrs.  Stubbs  sighed  deeply  as  she 
narrowed  off  the  thumb  of  the  mitten  she  was 
knitting. 

Esther  was  very  glad  to  use  Mr.  Stubbs's  hints  in 
managing  her  school.  After  the  first  week's  drill, 
she  could,  by  a  tap  of  the  bell  and  giving  the  "key- 
note," bring  every  child  to  an  erect  position  and 
start  such  a  volume  of  melody  on  "  Rally  'Round  the 
Flag,  Boys,"  or  "Tramp,  Tramp,  Tramp,  the  Boys 
are  Marching,"  or  old  "  America,"  as  would  make 
the  woods  ring. 

"You're  very  polite  to  let  us  sing  so  good,"  said 
little  Josephine  Labrique,  with  her  pretty  French 
accent,  as  she  leaned  against  Esther's  lap  one 
noon. 

"You  mean  she's  kind,"  corrected  Irene  Wells. 

"  Yes,  and  I  love  you,  too,"  said  Flora  Durhurst. 


ESTHER'S  SCHOOL.  169 

"  I  wrote  my  pa  a  letter  last  night,  an'  I  told  him 
how  you  teached  us  '  Tramp,  Tramp.'  ' 

"  Where  is  your  father?  "  asked  Esther. 

Flora  stopped  eating  her  bread  and  butter  and 
looked  at  the  teacher  in  blank  amazement. 

"  He's  in  the  war,  of  course ;  'way  down  before 
Vicksburg,  my  pa  is." 

"  My  big  brother's  gone.  He's  down  there,  too," 
said  Jasmine  Ripley,  a  tall,  slender  girl,  taller,  in 
fact,  than  her  teacher. 

"  My  father's  been  killed.  I  tell  you  'taint  very 
nice  to  see  your  mother  cryin'  and  think  you  can't 
see  your  father  any  more;  "  and  Ira  Grover  shook 
his  head  soberly  as  he  advanced  to  the  desk. 

Little  Bub  Spinner,  who  was  Esther's  "  bad  boy," 
came  hopping  forward  at  this  instant  and  spoke 
up  loudly,  "  I  guess  they  wont  kill  my  Uncle 
John.  He's  too  big.  We're  going  to  send  him  a 
box.  He  lives  in  a  tent  an'  fires  guns,  but  he  wants 
to  go  in  a  battle.  I  wish  't  I  could  go  in  a  battle. 
My  uncle  wrote  some  poetry  once,  an*  it  was  in  the 
paper.    I  say  it  sometimes  when  folks  tease  me  to." 

Bub  had  been  in  constant  motion  thus  far,  as 
though  his  body  was  a  little  machine  which  had  to 
hop  or  swing  itself  at  every  sentence ;  but  now, 
without  any  special  "  teasing,"  he  assumed  the  per- 
pendicular, brought  his  little  toes  together  upon  a 
crack  in  the  floor,  jerked  a  funny  bow  toward  Esther 
and  recited : 

"  "Tis  of  a  noble  lady  that  my  story  shall  be  told, 
Who  among  our  valiant  soldiers  was  the  boldest  of  the  bold ; 
How  she  plead  and  teased  our  colonel  till  he  was  forced  to  yield. 
And  let  her  share  our  dangers  upon  the  tented  field. 


170  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

"  For  miles  upon  the  dusty  road  she  traveled  all  the  way, 
While  many  of  the  sterner  sex  were  forced  down  to  lay. 
Here  in  her  home  of  canvas,  not  over  eight  feet  square, 
She  managed  all  so  nicely  they'd  plenty  room  to  spare. 

"And  when  the  order  came  to  move,  upon  her  noble  steed, 

With  her  husband  'midst  the  skirmishers  Mrs.  Selwyn  took  the  lead. 

Arrived  in  camp  at  Seneca,  she  had  a  palace  made 

Of  bushes,  and,  although  they  leaked,  served  very  well  for  shade. 

"  'Twas  here  she  met  an  accident  that  made  her  lame  for  life, 
But  she  bore  her  troubles  bravely,  as  became  a  soldier's  wife ; 
From  Seneca  to  Grover  on  a  stretcher  she  did  ride, 
Survived  the  awful  sickness  with  which  so  many  died." 

Here  Bub  paused  and  bowed.  "  There's  more 
to  it,"  said  he,  "  but  I  aint  got  it  yet.  When  I 
do  I'll  speak  it  to  you.  It's  all  about  a  real  live 
woman  ;  my  uncle  knows  her." 

"Why,  it's  nice,  isn't  it,  teacher?"  said  Jasmine, 
who  was  fond  of  verses.  "  I'd  write  all  the  time  if 
I  could  do  so  well." 

"  Pooh ! "  and  Bub  resumed  his  gymnastics. 
"  My  Uncle  John  writes  whole  letters  like  that. 
He  don't  mind.  He  don't  care  whether  he  makes 
poetry  or  shoots  rebs." 

"  A  little  boy  with  such  an  uncle  ought  to  be  a 
splendid  scholar,  don't  you  think  so  ?  "  said  Esther, 
looking  with  new  interest  into  the  animated  freckled 
face. 

Bub  returned  the  look  with  a  conscious  blush, 
then  with  a  wild  whoop  he  sprang  through  the  open 
door-way,  shouting,  "  Lil — lil !  "  at  which  rallying- 
cry  every  barefooted  boy-patriot  rushed  out  to  join 
in  their  favorite  game.  Esther  was  surprised  that 
her  scholars  knew  so  well  the  condition  of  the  coun- 
try.    She  had  thought  they  liked  the  quick  martial 


ESTHER'S  SCHOOL.  171 

music  of  the  "war  songs"  and  their  rattling  cho- 
ruses ;  but  after  that  day  she  was  able  to  detect  a 
deeper  appreciation  in  their  voices,  sustaining  their 
claim  to  a  share  of  the  honor  of  belonging  to  the 
"  loyalest  deestrict  in  Gilead." 

And  that  was  a  summer  to  test  every  body's  loy- 
alty. The  first  of  July  came  the  terrible  battle  of 
Gettysburg,  which  filled  the  papers  with  heart-rend- 
ing accounts  and  long,  long  lists  of  killed  and 
wounded.  Then  Vicksburg  surrendered,  and  there 
was  a  gleam  of  hope  again.  But  a  little  later  came 
the  first  draft,  followed  by  terrible  resistance  in 
New  York  city,  where  riots,  mobs,  and  bloodshed 
filled  the  land  with  a  new  dread  and  made  white 
lips  ask,  "  What  next  ?     What  next  ?  " 

But  the  press  and  pulpit  of  the  Green  Mountain 
State  stood  firm,  and  above  the  murmurs  of  the 
faint-hearted  and  the  false  rose  the  faith  and  cour- 
age of  those  who  spoke  to  the  people  with  author- 
ity. The  editors  and  ministers  of  those  days  are 
passing  away,  but  they  belong  to  an  unrecognized 
"  Grand  Army "  which  fed  the  fires  of  loyalty  at 
home  through  many  a  dark  and  ominous  peril. 

The  country  seemed  full  of  strange  contradictions 
that  summer;  for  while  battles  were  being  fought 
and  men  were  dying  in  hospitals  the  rural  districts 
of  the  North  were  being  invaded  by  pleasure-seekers 
as  never  before.  Up  among  the  White  Mountains, 
along  the  Vermont  lakes,  and  in  quiet  little  villages 
were  seen  crowds  of  those  who  had  money  from  the 
soldier-boys  or  who  had  coined  their  gold  out  of 
the  great  necessities  of  the  hour.  Speculation  was 
rife  and  dishonest  men  in  their  glory ;  and  the   sol- 


172  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

dier  boys  received  blankets  and  clothing  among 
other  things  bearing  witness  to  this.  It  was 
"shoddy"  sometimes  in  those  days,  and  from  the 
vast  wealth  resulting  arose  "shoddy  aristocracy!" 

Even  Gilead  saw  some  of  it  during  a  few  weeks 
of  unusual  splendor.  But  still  the  children  sang  in 
the  quiet  shadow  of  old  Bear  Mountain  : 

"  Rally  'round  the  flag,  boys, 

Rally  once  again, 

Shouting  the  battle-cry  of  freedom  !  " 


VICTORIA   VICTRIX.  173 


CHAPTER   XV. 

VICTORIA    VICTRIX. 

ESTHER'S  school  duties  did  not  prevent  fre- 
quent calls  upon  Mrs.  Stanley  and  Vic  Arm- 
strong. Mrs.  Stanley  always  greeted  her  with  a  cor- 
diality which  would  have  surprised  those  who  only 
saw  the  gentle  widow  at  church.  "  My  dear  child  !  " 
was  her  usual  greeting  ;  and  then  Esther  would  kiss 
the  soft  thin  cheek  with  the  "  tips  of  her  lips  "  and 
be  ushered  with  quaint  ceremony  into  the  tiny 
"  best  room." 

No  matter  where  Esther  looked  during  these  visits, 
she  always  saw  something  to  remind  her  of  Don, 
from  the  case  of  handsome  books  in  the  parlor  to 
his  coat  and  hat  hanging  in  the  little  entry  through 
which  she  always  passed.  At  all  these  reminders 
she  glanced  with  shy  reverence,  when  she  thought 
herself  unobserved,  although  we  must  confess  that 
in  leaving  the  house  she  usually  gave  the  old  coat 
a  loving  touch  when  she  was  quite,  quite  alone, 
then  hastened  away  with  blushing  cheeks  and  pal- 
pitating heart.  Not  a  word  passed  between  the 
two  respecting  Don's  letters,  however,  which  any 
stranger  might  not  have  heard  ;  but  there  was  a 
tacit  understanding  which  made  the  calls  very  com- 
forting to  both.  One  night  in  August  Esther  had 
carried  an  offering  of  delicious  blackberries,  deco- 


17 i  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

rated  with  green  leaves  and  vines  ;  and  after  enjoy- 
ing a  few  moments'  chat  reluctantly  turned  toward 
Joe  Armstrong's  little  home  impelled  by  sundry 
messages  which  Vic  had  been  sending  by  the  neigh- 
bors' children. 

"  Vic  is  so  discouraged  I  don't  know  what  to  say 
to  her,"  she  had  said  to  the  widow. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  the  very  one  to  help  her  out  of 
her  selfishness  and  sloth,"  was  the  gentle  reply ; 
and  the  thought  followed  Esther  as  she  climbed 
the  slope  beyond.  She  found  Victoria  sitting  in 
the  door-way  in  an  untidy  dress,  her  pretty  hair 
uncombed,  engaged  in  reading  a  story-paper,  while 
baby  Nellie  was  playing  in  the  dirt  with  some  new 
tin  pans  commonly  used  for  milk. 

"  O,  Vic!"  cried  Esther,  without  waiting  to  greet 
her,  "  do  see  what  the  baby  is  doing.  She  will  spoil 
those  pans." 

Vic  looked  up  languidly. 

"O,  it's  you,  Esther,  at  last!  Don't  mind  the 
baby ;  she  wont  do  no  hurt.  I  let  her  have 
every  thing  to  keep  her  quiet ;  "  and  scrambling 
to  her  feet  she  brought  a  rocking-chair  to  the 
door. 

"  I'd  ask  you  to  go  in,  but  it  looks  worse  in  the 
house  than  it  does  out  here — " 

"  I'd  rather  sit  here,  it  is  so  cool  and  pleasant  un- 
der this  big  tree ; "  and  Esther  removed  her 
broad-brimmed  hat,  looking  around  with  new  in- 
terest. 

"  You  might  make  this  yard  real  pretty,  Vic,  if 
you  would  try,"  said  she.  "  Mrs.  Stubbs  has  made 
hers  beautiful  with  all  sorts  of  vines   and  flowers. 


VICTORIA   VICTRIX.  175 

You  ought  to  see  it  now,  while  her  dahlias  are  in 
blossom." 

"  O,  my  gracious!  "  said  Vic,  scornfully.  "I'd 
like  to  know  who  cares  whether  my  yard  looks  nice 
or  not.  I  aint  going  to  stay  here  anyway,  Esther. 
If  Joe  can  leave  me  to  go  to  war  I  guess  I  can  live 
where  I  please,  and  I'm  going  to  take  Joe's  pay 
and  board  in  the  village  with  Aunt  Maria.  I'll  buy 
some  nice  new  dresses  and  have  'em  made  like  those 
in  the  fashion-plates.  Lawyer  Ellis  says  it's  a 
shame  for  me  to  bury  myself  over  here  in  the 
woods  when  I  might  be  having  good  times  in  the 
village." 

Esther  dared  not  speak  for  a  moment,  she  was  so 
startled  by  the  words  of  her  foolish  friend.  She 
felt  like  catching  hold  of  her  with  both  hands  to 
save  her  from  some  impending  peril,  but  dared  not 
betray  her  anxiety.  Instead  she  said  lightly,  "  He 
has  no  right  to  give  advice  until  he  is  asked.  Think 
how  Joe  loves  this  little  home,  and  how  hard  he 
worked  for  it.  Every  body  says  it  will  be  such  a 
nice  place  when  it's  all  cleared  and  paid  for." 

"  It  aint  going  to  be  paid  for,  because  I  want  the 
money  ;  and  the  farm  may  go  to  rack  and  ruin  for 
all  I  care;"  and  Vic  folded  her  dimpled  arms 
defiantly. 

"  I  know  what  I  would  do,  Victoria,  if  I  were  in 
your  place,"  continued  Esther.  "I  would  never, 
never  sell  my  pretty  house,  but  I  would  pay  up  the 
debt  with  Joe's  wages,  and  then  fix  up  the  house 
with  new  paint  and  paper,  and  make  a  rag-carpet 
for  the  sitting-room,  and  some  rugs  for  the  kitchen, 
and   cover  the  big  rocking-chair  with  new  copper- 


176  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

plate,  and  hang  some  new  white  curtains  at  the 
windows.  Then  I  would  buy  a  few  pretty  dresses 
and  have  them  made  good  and  strong,  Vic  " — and 
both  looked  at  the  rips  in  the  one  she  was  wearing 
with  a  smile — "and  then  every  afternoon  I  would 
put  one  of  them  on  and  comb  my  beautiful  hair 
and  coil  it  up  just  as  I  would  want  it  to  look  if  Joe 
should  happen  to  come  up  the  path." 

"  O,  O,  O,  don't  say  any  more  !  "  sobbed  Yic,  sud- 
denly turning  and  burying  her  face  in  Esther's  lap. 
"I  know  I'm  all  wrong,  and  I'm  just  as  miserable 
and  lonesome  as  I  can  be ;  and  I  thought  I  would 
try  to  do  better,  but  I  get  to  reading,  and  my  bread 
sours  and  my  cream  molds  and  my  butter  aint  fit  to 
eat,  and  Frank's  mad  because  he  don't  have  good 
victuals,  and  says  he  wont  carry  on  the  farm,  and  I 
don't  know  what  to  do." 

Esther  smoothed  the  tangled  hair,  and  little 
Nellie  came  toddling  up  to  lay  her  head  beside  her 
mamma's  and  pat  her  cheek  with  a  very  hot,  dirty 
hand. 

"  Well,  I  wouldn't  give  up,  Vic,"  said  Esther, 
half  crying  herself.  "  You  know  Joe  and  all  the 
rest  have  gone  to  war,  not  because  they  wanted  to 
leave  home,  but  to  save  the  country;  and  it  seems 
to  me  we  that  stay  here  ought  to  do  our  very  best, 
so  that  when  they  come  back  they  will  find  every 
thing  ready  for  them.  And,  Vic,  I  wish  you  would 
stop  reading  those  silly  love-stories.  For  Joe's  sake 
don't  you  think  you  could,  dear  ?  " 

"  O,  I  don't  know,"  sighed  Vic,  wearily.  "When 
mother  died  last  winter  she  tried  to  make  me  prom- 
ise to,  but  seems  to  me  I  can't.     When   I  get  to 


VICTORIA   VICTRIX.  177 

reading  one  of  them  Ledger  stories  I  can't  stop  ;  but 
when  I  do  stop  there's  so  many  things  that  ought 
to  be  done  I  don't  know  where  to  begin." 

"  Well,  I  would  begin,"  said  Esther,  firmly  ;  "  and 
the  first  thing  I'd  make  a  big  bonfire  of  the  old 
papers  and  never  let  any  more  come  into  the 
house." 

"All  my  old  papers  that  I've  saved  up-stairs?" 
aske  1  Vic,  reproachfully. 

"  Yes,  every  one,  unless  you're  anxious  to  keep 
them  for  Nellie,  to  read  by  and  by." 

"  O,  no,  I  don't  want  Nellie  to  read  'em.  I  want 
her  to  learn  to  work  and  do  things  in  season,  too. 
She  must  be  a  scholar ;  that's  what  papa  Joe  says ;  " 
and  Vic  seized  the  dirty  baby,  kissing  her  sweet, 
sticky  mouth  again  and  again.  And  so,  over  the 
baby  the  two  girls  wiped  their  eyes  and  silently 
resolved,  the  one  to  reform,  the  other  to  "  lend  a 
hand  "  while  the  work  was  being  done.  Vic  pushed 
away  the  wavy  tangles  from  her  flushed  forehead 
and  swollen  eyes  and  looked  up. 

"  Esther,"  said  she,  "  tell  me  what  you  would  do 
first  if  you  was  in  my  place — really  in  my  place,  you 
know." 

"  I  would  comb  my  hair,  wash  baby's  face,  and 
give  her  some  supper.  Then  I  would — burn — 
those — papers;"  and  Esther,  amazed  at  her  own 
boldness,  kissed  Vic  tenderly  and  hurried  down  the 
hill  toward  her  boarding-place. 

A  few  rods  from  the  house  she  discovered  Frank 

Shaw,  sitting  on  a  big  rock  by  the  roadside  trying  to 

coax  music  from  an  old  flute.     He  looked  nearly  as 

discouraged  as  had  Victoria  ;   and,  guessing  that  he 

12     . 


178  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

had  left  his  sister  after  a  quarrel,  but  hardly  cared 
to  go  home,  she  stopped  and  asked  him  if  he  were 
learning  to  play. 

"Can't  make  much  music  out  of  this  old  thing," 
replied  Frank.  "  I  did  think  I'd  buy  a  new  one 
when  Joe  paid  me  next  time,  but  I've  quit  work  to- 
day." 

"Now,  Frank,"  said  Esther,  earnestly,  "you 
mustn't  leave  Vic.  I've  just  been  having  a  long 
talk  with  her,  and  she's  feeling  better.  You  must 
remember  how  much  Joe  thinks  of  her  and  how  he 
petted  her,  and  be  patient." 

"Well,  I  have  been  patient,  Miss  Steele,  but  a 
feller  can't  live  on  bread  and  milk  all  the  time,  es- 
pecially when  the  bread  is  sour  and  hard.  I  took 
the  hammer  and  chisel  to  the  table  to  break  it  with 
this  noon,  and  that's  what  begun  the  fuss." 

Esther  laughed. 

"I  don't  believe  the  bread  will  be  that  way  any 
more,  Frank,  really.  And  then,  again,  it  wouldn't 
be  fair  to  leave  Vic  while  Joe's  off  fighting  for  the 
country.  Joe  and  your  brother  '11  be  home  one  of 
these  days,  and  you  don't  want  them  to  find  that 
the  '  home  guards  '  haven't  done  their  duty." 

Frank  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  I  know,"  said  he.  "  I  didn't  forget  that,  either; 
but  Vic's  been  a  trial.  I  don't  wonder  Joe  was 
ready  to  go  to  war  after  eating  her  bread  a  couple 
of  years.     I'd  want  to  get  shot  if  I  was  him." 

"But  you'll  go  back  and  try  it  once  more,  wont 
you,  Frank  ? "  asked  Esther,  with  an  encouraging 
nod. 

"O,  I  s'pose  so.     I  think  lots  of  little  Nellie;" 


VICTORIA   VICTRIX.  179 

and  Frank  polished  the  old  flute  diligently  to  con- 
ceal a  deeper  feeling  than  he  cared  to  exhibit. 

"  All  right,  then  ;  "  and  Esther  left  him,  feeling 
sure  that  if  her  friend  would  do  right  Frank  was 
pledged  to  "  bear  and  forbear  "  a  little  longer. 

And  that  Victoria  was  moved  by  some  new  im- 
pulse became  evident  as  soon  as  Esther  disappeared 
around  the  foot  of  the  slope,  for  she  ran  up-stairs 
into  the  little  room  where  lay  piles  of  papers  and 
old  books  in  confused  heaps  upon  the  floor.  Seiz- 
ing an  armful  she  descended  and  soon  had  them 
blazing  in  the  kitchen  stove.  Again  and  again  she 
filled  the  stove,  regardless  of  consequences,  while 
the  baby  clapped  her  hands  and  laughed.  Victoria 
continued  this  cremation  until  she  reached  the  last 
serial,  "  The  Bride  of  the  Magic  Cave,"  bound  to- 
gether and  tied  securely.  This  was  peculiarly  fas- 
cinating and  terrible ;  but  the  thought  that  Nellie 
might  sometime  read  it  sealed  its  doom,  and  it 
was  soon  rolling  up  the  chimney  in  a  volume 
of  smoke.  It  was  no  wonder  that  Frank,  slowly 
returning  to  the  house,  hastened  his  footsteps 
as  he  saw  smoke  mingled  with  sparks  flying  up- 
ward. 

"  What  under  the  sun  you  doing  now,  Vic?  "  he 
cried,  rushing  into  the  kitchen,  seizing  a  pail  of 
water,  and  climbing  to  the  roof  with  the  utmost 
speed.  "There  now,  Vic,"  said  he,  as  he  met  her 
in  the  chamber  bringing  another  pail  of  water, 
"  next  time  you  set  the  house  afire  give  me  a  little 
notice,  so  I  can  get  my  clothes  out." 

"  It  didn't  really  get  afire,  did  it?"  asked  his  sis- 
ter, with  pallid  lips. 


180  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Course  it  did.  Burned  out  the  soot  and  scorched 
quite  a  place  in  the  roof." 

"  Well,  you  see,  Frank,  I've  been  burning  my  old 
story-papers  and  books,"  said  Vic. 

"  Je-ru-sa-lem  !  I  don't  wonder  they  made  a  hot 
blaze.  Kind  of  flavored  with  brimstone,  you  know. 
May  be  I  better  take  up  another  pail  of  water  under 
the  circumstances." 

Vic  would  have  been  angry  ordinarily,  but  now 
she  only  smiled  pitifully,  trembling,  too,  as  she 
thought,  now  the  danger  was  over,  how  she  would 
have  felt  if  the  little  house  had  burned.  With  a 
feeling  of  genuine  shame,  such  as  she  had  never  be- 
fore experienced,  our  delinquent  housekeeper  col- 
lected a  few  fragments  of  former  feasts  for  their  late 
supper ;  but  with  a  clean  cloth  on  the  table,  a  clean- 
faced  baby  beside  her,  and  Frank  graciously  endeav- 
ing  to  cut  his  bread  with  a  knife  just  opposite,  Vic 
felt  that  she  had  really  made  a  beginning.  The 
very  next  morning,  with  deep  humiliation  and  many 
misgivings,  she  took  little  Nellie  and  made  her  way 
to  Mrs.  Stubbs's  kitchen.  The  result  of  her  visit 
that  worthy  woman  rehearsed  to  Esther  at  the  first 
opportunity. 

"  The  day  of  miracles  aint  over,"  said  she,  with 
beaming  countenance.  "  Victory  Armstrong  wants 
to  learn  how  to  make  good  bread.  And  she's  in 
earnest,  too.  She  wrote  it  all  down  on  paper,  and 
I'm  going  to  give  her  yeast  every  week.  She's  a 
pretty  girl^  Victory  is,  and  she  looked  so  humble 
and  sorry  I  couldn't  help  kissing  her.  Dretful  curi- 
ous she  was  about  my  posies,  too,  and  asked  ques- 
tions about  this  thing  and  that,  in  doors  and  out, 


VICTORIA    VICTRIX.  181 

till  I  made  up  my  mind  she'd  had  a  dream  or  a  vis- 
ion or  something  like  what  come  to  Saul  of  Tarsus. 
Something's  woke  her  up,  any  way,  and  I  kind  of 
asked  the  Lord  to  help  me  give  just  the  advice  she 
needed,  bein'  her  mother's  dead.  I  felt  fairly  beat  out 
with  surprise  and  astonishment  after  I  see  her  off  with 
a  loaf  of  my  bread  and  a  couple  of  pies  for  a  sample, 
for,  as  I  said  to  Mr.  Stubbs,  I'd  as  soon  expect  one 
o'  them  robins  out  there  to  hop  in  and  ask  for 
knitting-work  as  I  would  to  have  Victory  Armstrong 
come  into  my  kitchen  to  have  me  learn  her  to  make 
good  bread." 


182  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GILEAD'S    "SOLDIERS'   AID." 

BEFORE  the  close  of  '63  the  loyal  women  of 
Gilead  organized  a  "  Soldiers'  Aid  Society." 
The  "Christian  Commission"  was  carrying  on  its 
splendidly  organized  and  equipped  work  for  the 
soldiers,  and  hundreds  of  aid  societies  were  in  active 
operation  long  before  this,  but,  as  we  have  intimated, 
our  little  rural  town  moved  slowly.  Boxes  had 
been  sent  to  their  own  "boys" — many  of  them — 
but  a  conviction  was  growing  that  something  more 
was  essential ;  so  when  a  notice  was  read  in  the 
two  churches  one  Sunday  late  in  the  fall,  calling 
for  a  meeting  of  all  the  "  willing-hearted  "  on  the 
next  Thursday  afternoon,  it  met  general  approval. 

"  O,  if  Miss  Hancock  were  only  here  to  tell  us 
what  to  do!  "  said  one  and  another  when  the  time 
for  the  meeting  arrived. 

"  Think  of  the  good  she  is  doing  where  she  is," 
replied  Mrs.  Fletcher.  "  The  dear  soul  writes  that 
she  is  nurse  and  mother,  too,  in  her  ward — writing 
letters,  telling  stories,  listening  to  family  histories, 
and  sometimes  just  crying  and  praying  while  some 
poor  fellow's  tortured  soul  is  set  free.  The  doctors 
tell  her  she'll  have  to  come  home  in  the  spring  to 
recruit,  for  she's  not  one  to  stay  more  than  a  year  in 
such  a  trying  place." 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  183 

Not  much  machinery  was  required  for  a  society 
which  had  but  one  object,  and  that  was  soon  set  in 
motion.  Mrs.  Plumley,  elected  president  with  very 
little  formality,  took  her  place  beside  the  large  table 
opened  to  its  full  size  in  her  own  parlor  and  looked 
into  the  faces  of  the  women  around  her.  Her  black 
dress  with  its  simple  crape  trimmings,  her  face 
with  its  indescribable  expression  of  mingled  sorrow 
and  heroic  endurance,  helped  emphasize  her  appeal. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  urge  upon  you,  dear  sisters," 
said  she,  "  because  we  are  only  taking  our  share  of 
the  responsibility  resting  upon  all  women  to-day. 
A  long,  cold  winter  is  upon  us.  We  have  seen 
some -victories,  and  we  believe  General  Grant  is  the 
leader  we  have  been  waiting  for ;  but  Lincoln  calls 
for  '  three  hundred  thousand  more ; '  so  it  is  evident 
that  our  President  doesn't  think  the  war  will  close 
in  the  spring,  as  we  had  hoped.  Our  own  Guards 
are  fretting  still  in  Washington,  longing  for  action, 
and  perhaps  we  feel  that  they  are  comparatively  safe  ; 
but  we  don't  know  how  many  of  them  may  be  in 
hospital  before  spring;  at  any  rate  somebody's  sons 
will  be  there — hundreds  of  them — dependent  for 
comfort  upon  supplies  sent  from  the  North.  I  felt 
sure  you  wouldn't  feel  satisfied  with  simply  organ- 
izing to-day — time  is  too  precious;  so  I  bought  a 
web  of  cotton-cloth  and  collected  some  old  sheets, 
that  we  might  begin  our  work  at  once." 

A  murmur  of  approval  followed  these  remarks, 
and  while  the  cloth  was  brought  in  and  put  upon 
the  table  thimbles  and  needles  made  their  appear- 
ance, and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  sheets, 
pillow  slips,  and  shirts  were  in  process  of  manufact- 


184  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

ure,  while  old  linen  was  being  carefully  prepared 
for  bandages  or  scraped  into  snowy  piles  of  lint. 
Sewing-machines  were  very  rare  in  Gilead,  but  Mrs. 
Plumley  had  one  of  the  few,  and  it  was  devoted  to  the 
use  of  the  "  Soldiers'  Aid  "  from  that  hour,  although 
some  of  the  ladies  had  an  old-fashioned  notion  that 
every  thing  sent  to  "the  boys"  ought  to  be  "hand- 
made." As  they  wrought  with  nervous  energy  it 
was  good  to  see  how  one  absorbing  interest  was 
bringing  them  together.  Like  many  small  country 
towns,  Gilead  had  its  "  distinctions."  A  social 
philosopher  might  well  smile  over  such  very,  very 
small  orbital  differences,  but  to  the  "orbs"  they 
were  by  no  means  imaginary.  They  existed  be- 
tween the  churches,  and  also  to  some  extent  be- 
tween those  living  "out  of"  and  "in"  the  vil- 
lage. The  brown  church  was  supposed  to  be  more 
aristocratic  than  its  neighbor  across  the  green. 
It  had  come  to  town  first.  It  had  the  bell,  also 
red  cushions  in  its  pews,  carpeted  aisles  and  grass- 
cloth  curtains  at  its  windows.  The  white  church 
had  none  of  these  luxuries.  More  of  the  village 
people  attended  the  brown  church,  and  "  this, 
that,  and  the  other  "  were  all  weighed  in  invis- 
ible scales,  and  people  who  felt  the  tipping  of 
one  side  or  the  other  governed  themselves  accord- 
ingly. But  this  afternoon  Mrs.  Green,  the  mer- 
chant's wife,  measured  pillow-slips  with  Mrs.  Rollins, 
who  was  as  aggressive  and  acrimonious  as  ever,  but 
"  of  course  she  must  help  as  long  as  her  boy  was 
down  South." 

Mrs.  Hickey,  in  a  figured  calico  dress,  sat  quite  at 
her  ease  with  Mrs.  Akers,  the  cashier's  wife,  sewing 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  185 

"over  and  over"  at  opposite  ends  of  the  same 
sheet,  while  Mrs.  Smith  from  her  mountain  eyrie 
gave  Mrs.  Allen,  wife  of  the  "richest  man  in  town," 
her  rule  for  preserving  sweet  flag-root  in  sugar, 
recommending  it  highly  for  her  husband's  "  heart- 
burn." 

O,  it  is  good  to  remember  that  through  common 
sorrow  the  hearts  of  home-workers  were  brought 
very  near  together!  And  of  course  these  women 
talked  as  fast  as  they  sewed.  A  poor  "  skedaddler," 
as  deserters  were  called,  had  been  caught  in  a  barn 
near  the  village  and  promptly  delivered  to  the 
proper  authorities  a  few  days  before.  Over  his  case 
there  was  a  difference  of  opinion,  some  of  the 
ladies  pitying  the  coward  who  had  been  so  near 
Canada  and  failed  to  reach  it,  while  others  declared 
they  were  glad  he  was  caught,  and  wished  they 
might  have  his  fate  to  decide !  Among  the  last 
mentioned  was  Martha  Thompson,  whose  unyield- 
ing attitude  as  she  sat  scraping  lint  was  suggestive 
of  nothing  less  than  the  courage  and  fortitude  of  a 
Roman  matron. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  she,  "  this  is  a  sort  of  high- 
way for  all  the  scalawags  in  New  Hampshire  and 
Massachusetts  who  want  to  run  to  Canada.  Let  a 
few  of  'em  get  caught,  I  say.  Let  'em  smell  gun- 
powder, and  take  their  chance  with  better  men." 

In  the  midst  of  conversation  the  loud-voiced 
stage -bells  were  heard,  and  the  big  covered 
sleigh,  with  its  two  sweating  horses,  their  mouths 
frost-covered,  dashed  past,  drawing  up  with  a  flour- 
ish in  front  of  the  post-office.  So  many  ladies  were 
expecting  "  war  letters" — they  were  always  expect- 


186  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

ing  them  in  those  days  —  that  a  messenger  was 
sent  over,  and  very  soon  they  were  brought  in  and 
distributed.  Can  any  of  my  readers  remember  the 
gay,  patriotic  envelopes  used  by  the  soldiers  and 
their  friends?  In  the  corner  opposite  the  stamp 
were  designs — eagles,  flags,  shields,  cannons,  and 
swords,  or  perhaps  the  portraits  of  Union  generals. 
Lincoln's  face  was  often  seen,  sometimes  Lincoln's 
and  Washington's  together,  surrounded  by  a  wreath 
of  laurel.  Gayly  colored  were  many  of  these  de- 
signs, and  the  paper  corresponded,  often  being  bor- 
dered or  barred  with  red,  white,  and  blue  lines. 
Yes,  the  very  mail-bags  were  laden  with  patriotism 
in  those  days !  Scraps  of  the  letters  were  read 
aloud,  among  others  a  part  of  John  Henry  Hickey's, 
our  young  friend  having  won  quite  a  reputation  as 
a  spicy  writer. 

"Thanks  to  Corporal  Rollins,"  he  wrote,  "while 
you  folks  at  home  were  feasting  on  turkey  and 
plum-pudding,  not  to  mention  other  superfluous 
goodies,  we  also  ate  our  turkey.  The  proud  bird 
was  reheated  by  our  tent  cook,  and  we  gathered 
around  it  trying  not  to  notice  the  absence  of  side 
dishes.  O,  but  it  was  good,  mother!  and  for  once 
we  were  glad  we  were  not  on  the  'tented  field,' 
but  still  here  at  old  Fortress  Monroe.  We  ate 
every  thing  but  the  bones,  drawing  lots  for  the  wish- 
bone, which  is  pinned  to  my  tent  just  above  my 
head.  Then  we  finished  the  birthday  cake  you 
sent,  and  were  ready  to  sing.  We  tried  '  Home, 
Sweet  Home,'  but  some  of  the  boys  grew  suddenly 
hoarse,  so  we  struck  up  '  '65's  the  Jubilee  for  the 
Darkies     Ebery-where,'    which    went    with    a    vim. 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  187 

George  and  I  and  the  other  Gilead  boys  are  well, 
and  would  like  to  see  some  new  recruits  down  here. 
Tell  our  fellow-citizens  of  the  Green  Mountain 
peaks  if  I  was  up  there  and  wanted  to  come  down 
here  pretty  bad,  and  had  nothing  to  hinder,  I  would 
the  first  thing  gather  myself  together  and  come,  all 
in  one  solemn  column,  to  the  tune  of  '  Soldier's 
Joy,'  common  time,  rout  step,  double  quick,  marcJi  ! 
The  weather  here  varies,  days  usually  quite  warm, 
while  some  nights  are  cold  enough  to  freeze  the  ears 
off  a  stone  image." 

"  There,  now,  I  guess  I  wont  read  any  more," 
laughed  Mrs.  Hickey  as  she  wiped  her  eyes.  "  John 
Henry  gets  extravagant  sometimes." 

The  ladies  had  a  plain  early  tea,  after  which  the 
village  girls  and  men,  young  and  old,  came,  drawn 
together  by  a  bond  of  common  interest.  The  Bos- 
ton Daily  was  brought  in,  and  the  Standard,  truest 
and  stanchest  of  all,  damp  from  the  press.  News 
from  the  front  was  read  aloud,  and  army  leaders 
criticised  or  commended  as  usual.  Doubts  were 
expressed  as  to  the  possibility  of  raising  "  three 
hundred  thousand  more,"  for,  judging  the  nation  by 
Gilead,  they  said,  "  Who  is  there  to  go?  " 

Among  other  gleanings  we  find  one  worthy  of 
special  preservation,  which  Dr.  Adams  read  from 
the  Standard,  from  which  it  is  literally  copied : 

"  A  gentleman  from  Massachusetts  went  to  New- 
berne,  when  General  Wilde  went  down  to  raise 
negro  troops.  He  went  out  into  the  country  with 
a  friend,  visited  a  lot  of  black  men  who  were  cutting 
timber  for  government,  and  made  them  a  speech, 
telling  them  that  they  were  to  be  called  on  to  enlist, 


188  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

and  urging  them  to  do  their  duty  for  their  country. 
As  a  result  the  next  morning,  before  the  recruiting 
office  could  be  opened,  a  black  man  with  one  hun- 
dred men — the  gang  of  government  wood-cutters — 
came  to  enlist.  When  the  Massachusetts  man  was 
coming  away  he  espied  a  black  woman  trying  to  get 
past  a  line  of  guards  to  him.  He  assisted  her  and 
a  colored  minister  to  do  so,  when  she  approached 
him  and  handed  him  a  brown  paper  parcel  that  jin- 
gled, explaining  that  it  was  money  that  had  been 
subscribed  by  colored  women  of  Newberne  to  buy  a 
standard  of  colors  for  the  first  regiment  of  North 
Carolina  volunteers.  It  was  one  hundred  dollars, 
she  said,  and  they  wanted  a  first-rate  one. 

"  '  But  you  will  need  the  money;  you  had  better 
keep  it — the  government  will  provide  the  colors,' 
said  the  gentleman. 

"  But  this  so  distressed  the  woman  and  the  minis- 
ter that  he  took  the  money,  made  up  mostly  of 
silver  three-cent  pieces,  half  dimes,  and  dimes,  from 
the  scanty  earnings  of  the  slaves,  and  said  : 

"  '  Madam,  you  shall  have  the  very  handsomest 
flag  that  the  city  of  Boston  can  supply.' 

"  With  the  money  was  the  subscription  paper,  the 
first  gotten  up  by  slave  women  in  the  United  States 
for  such  a  purpose.  It  was  written  by  '  Marian,  a 
Cook,'  and  is  as  follows  : 

"  '  Sob-scription  list.  Ladays  old  and  young,  one 
and  all,  I  call  on  you  in  this  time  of  our  great 
Struggle  for  Liberty.  We  a  Potion  of  us  do  intend 
to  go  forward  and  try  and  Collect  Money  enough  to 
Purchase  a  decent  flag  for  our  Colard  Solgers  and 
Jcntlemen,  for  it  is  for  our  good  and  the  good  of 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  1S9 

our  Daughters  that  our  husbands  and  Sons  do 
in-List  to  fight  our  Battles  and  gain  our  Libatys 
therefore  there  Remans  a  work  for  us  to  do  and 
Let  us  rise  and  do  our  parte  Cheerfully  Please 
give  me  Something  to  aid  us  in  this  matter.' 

"  Signed,  '  Marian  Hargit  and  others.'  " 

This  little  account  of  self-denial  was  quite  in  line 
with  public  sentiment. 

"Real  common  sense,  I  call  it,"  said  Esquire 
Fletcher  ;  "  shows  that  they're  just  such  folks  as  we 
are." 

King,  the  editor  of  the  Standard,  had  just  en- 
tered in  time  to  catch  the  last  remark  and  its  appli- 
cation. 

"  If  they  don't  fight  well  under  that  flag  they 
deserve  to  be  shot.  But  they  will.  They're  men, 
and  government  itself  can't  make  them  'contra- 
bands.' I  expect  to  see  grand  work  done  by  colored 
troops  yet,"  said  he. 

"  You've  got  great  faith  in  niggers,  King,  but  I 
tell  you  they'll  run  !  they'll  run  !  I  went  down 
South  myself  when  I  was  a  young  man,  and  I  tell 
you  they're  cowards,  these  niggers;"  and  Mr.  Green, 
who  was  a  well-known  "  copper-head,"  edged  his 
way  through  the  crowd  toward  the  table  where  the 
editor  was  standing.  This  latter  individual,  who 
was  literally  "  boiling  over  with  patriotism,"  cleared 
his  throat  and  prepared  to  reply;  but  Mrs.  Plumley 
quietly  arose  and  happened  to  place  herself  with 
an  armful  of  half-completed  garments  between  the 
two. 

"  I  feel  like  shaking  hands  with  '  Marian  Hargit 
and  others,'  "  said  she,  with  a  smile.     "  I  think  our 


190  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

new  society  will  adopt  her  language  and  say, 
'  Therefore  there  remains  a  work  for  us  to  do.' 
And  we  will  begin  by  asking  Mr.  Green  to  '  Please 
give  us  something  to  aid  us.'  " 

But  by  the  time  she  had  emptied  her  arms  and 
turned  toward  him  with  outstretched  hand  he  had 
retreated  in  good  order ;  for  if  there  was  any  thing 
his  soul  hated  it  was  a  "collection."  Neverthe- 
less, it  was  taken  with  much  quiet  laughter,  and 
several  cutting  remarks  reflecting  upon  his  bravery 
as  compared  with  that  of  his  colored  brethren. 

"  But  we  ought  to  be  doing  more,  I  think,"  said 
lively  Nellie  Lucas,  one  of  the  village  teachers. 
"  Miss  Sawyer  says  they  have  had  a  soldiers'  fair 
in  Bucksbury  and  raised  over  a  hundred  dollars. 
She  had  a  long  letter  from  her  cousin  telling  all 
about  it." 

Miss  Sawyer,  a  red-cheeked,  modest  little  lady, 
came  forward  after  much  persuasion  and  read  the 
description  referred  to,  which  was  followed  by  an 
eager  discussion  of  grab-bags,  fish-ponds,  Jacob's- 
wells,  post-offices,  etc.,  a  part  of  the  devices  used 
in  securing  funds  in  that  time  of  national  need. 
Figuratively  speaking,  Gilead  clapped  its  hands 
over  the  prospect.  Here  was  an  opportunity  to  do 
good,  to  have  "  lots  of  fun,"  and,  if  possible,  to 
outdo  Bucksbury  all  at  once!  Committees  were 
appointed  that  very  evening  to  take  charge  of  this 
great  undertaking,  and  several  weeks  of  the  dull 
"  snow-bound  "  winter  were  enlivened  by  prepara- 
tions for  it. 

Girls  who  had  been  accustomed  to  sit  under 
buffalo     robes    while    fathers    and    brothers    drove 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  101 

now  went  dashing  along  the  country  roads,  their 
hands  in  thick  yarn  mittens,  their  faces  rosy  and 
resolute,  as  they  held  the  reins  and  dispatched 
business  with  a  new  courage  born  of  necessity. 

The  news  of  the  great  sanitary  fair  of  the  North- 
west, with  its  receipts  reaching  nearly  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  had  run  across  the  nation  like 
wild-fire.  The  papers  were  full  of  it,  and  it  was 
the  model  and  guide  for  city  and  country.  As  our 
Gilead  friends  talked  and  read  they  began  to  realize 
something  of  the  tremendous  efforts  that  were  being 
made  in  the  heart  of  the  country.  Their  first  plan 
broadened.  They  would  have  singing  and  reciting  of 
patriotic  pieces,  tableaus,  and  charades.  They  would 
beg  donations  of  precious  things  to  sell  at  enormous 
profits.  They  would  hire  a  brass  band  !  And  so  it 
came  to  pass  that  Gilead's  fair  was  larger  and  longer 
and  more  magnificent  in  every  respect  than  Bucks- 
bury  had  ever  dreamed  of!  It  was  held  on  Christ- 
mas week,  and  the  people  came  from  far  and  near 
for  three  consecutive  evenings.  Ruby  Fletcher 
was  there  to  play  and  sing;  and  when  standing 
before  the  people  with  her  patriotic  little  head 
raised  and  her  full  triumphant  voice  filling  the  old 
church  she  sang  some  of  the  new  "war  songs," 
her  audience  gave  her  a  recall  which  was  unmis- 
takably sincere.  Gilead  was  by  no  means  "  senti- 
mental," but  no  place  is  too  stupid  to  enjoy  a  bit 
of  romance,  and  there  was  a  tacit  understanding 
that  Ruby  had  given  up  her  lover  for  her  country's 
sake  in  quite  an  unusual  way.  Hence  Ruby  was  a 
heroine  and  something  of  a  martyr! 

Her  return  on  this  occasion  with  a  more  dignified 


192  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

bearing  and  a  more  womanly  and  scholarly  expres- 
sion than  she  had  ever  worn  met  a  general  ap- 
proval, and  quite  warranted  all  the  applause  she 
received.  Abram,  poor  fellow,  felt  it  all!  He  had 
done  an  immense  amount  of  hard  work  for  the 
ladies,  but  absolutely  refused  to  help  sing  patriotic 
airs. 

"  It  would  be  so  inconsistent,"  he  had  said  to 
Mrs.  Plumley,  when  she  appealed  to  him. 

"  Abram,  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  why,"  she  had 
said,  in  her  tender,  motherly  way. 

1 1  is  lips  had  trembled,  but  he  only  replied  : 

"  I  cannot,"  and  no  one  had  ventured  any  farther 
appeal.  So  he  sat  well  back  in  the  audience  shield- 
ing his  face  with  one  hand  while  he  watched  Ruby 
through  his  fingers  ! 

Hiel  Saunders  noticed  his  apparent  unconcern, 
and  said  to  himself: 

"  Blamed  if  I'd  stan'  it !  May  be  Ruby  is  the  God- 
dess of  Liberty,  but  I  wont  '  stomp '  till  I'm  sure." 

Esther  Steele  had  her  little  triumph  that  evening 
also  when  the  best  singers  in  her  school  gave  in 
perfect  time  and  tune  their  favorite  "  Tramp,  tramp, 
tramp,  the  boys  are  marching,"  with  the  brass 
band  from  the  Center  to  accompany  each  chorus. 
Even  little  Bub  Spinner  immortalized  himself  by 
reciting  some  exquisitely  absurd  verses  written  by 
his  warrior  uncle,  with  matchless  fervor  and  a 
quaint  dramatic  force  which  was  nature's  own  gift. 
Esther  felt  fully  repaid  for  all  her  efforts  as  she 
looked  into  Mrs.  Spinner's  toil-worn  face  under  her 
old-fashioned  bonnet  and  saw  the  glow  of  mother- 
pride  and  the  flash  of  happy  tears. 


GILEAD'S  "SOLDIERS'  AID."  193 

Of  course  there  was  much  eating  and  drinking  in 
the  "  town  hall,"  to  which  the  audience  was  invited 
after  the  exercises  of  each  evening  were  over.  In 
that  department  Mrs.  Douglas  and  Martha  Thomp- 
son reigned  supreme  over  a  corps  of  assistants  who 
dispensed  quantities  of  rich  cookery  regardless  of 
consequences. 

At  the   close   of  this  unprecedented   dissipation 
the  tired  workers  counted  their  gains  and  announced 
two   hundred    and    fifty    dollars    for    the  "  boys   in 
blue!" 
13 


194  THE  GJLEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

COMFORT-BAGS. 

"/"^  IRLS,  which  would  you  rather  do,  take  care 

VJJ"  of  a  greasy  '  Kanuck '  this  spring,  or  help 
Benjie  make  sugar,  so  I  can  go  ahead  with  the  other 
work?"  asked  Abram  one  day  in  early  April. 

"  Help  make  the  sugar,"  was  the  quick  response. 

"We  can  do  it,  of  course, "  said  Mary.  "And 
perhaps  earn  money  enough  to  buy  some  calico 
dresses,  if  you  pay  good  wages." 

"  You  may  well  say  that,  for  Mr.  Green  told  me 
he  must  ask  thirty  cents  a  yard  for  the  next  lot;  so 
you  see  ten  yards  will  cost  three  dollars,"  said 
Esther. 

"  Exactly !  good  girl  to  remember  your  arith- 
metic. But  Mr.  Green  will  ask  a  long  time  before 
I  buy  his  old  calico.  '  When  this  cruel  war  is 
over  '  prices  will  go  down  again,"  sang  Mary. 

"But  what  will  you  do  next  summer,  girls?" 
asked  their  mother. 

"  Turn  our  old  dresses,"  replied  Esther,  briskly. 

"You've  done  that  already,"  sighed  Mrs.  Steele. 

"Well,  'one  good  turn  deserves  another,'  I've 
heard  you  say.  Now  I've  given  my  dresses  one 
good  turn,  and — " 

"  Esther  !  Esther!  "  cried  Mary,  seizing  her  sister 
by  the  arm  ;  "  that's  a  joke  !     Have  you   inherited 


COM  FOR  T-BA  GS.  1 95 

Uncle  Rufus's  'gift?'  Think  of  his  awful  humor 
and  spare  your  poor  family.  I  see  Abram's  idea; 
he's  all  for  saving  money  these  days,  and  so  instead 
of  hiring  a  worthy  Frenchman  for  help  he  takes  us, 
his  unworthy  sisters.  I'm  afraid  he  has  inherited 
Uncle  Mont's  gift  of  accumulation." 

Mr.  Steele  was  searching  the  prophecy  of  Daniel 
for  some  text  which  somebody  said  "bore  on  the 
war ;  "  but  he  lifted  his  head  at  that  moment,  look- 
ing over  his  glasses  at  his  tall  son. 

"  Remember,  '  the  life  is  more  than  meat,' 
Abram,"  said  he.  "  I  hope  I  wont  never  see  you 
so  fond  of  money  as  your  Uncle  Mont  is." 

"  No,  father,  you  never  will ;  but  of  course  you 
want  to  see  every  thing  paid  up,  and  this  is  the  time 
to  do  it.  They  say  butter  will  be  forty  cents  a 
pound  and  wool  over  a  dollar  this  spring." 

The  theme  did  not  exactly  suit  Abram,  and  while 
he  was  speaking  he  hastily  thrust  his  papers  into 
his  desk  and  locked  it. 

"With  two  or  three  hundred  pounds  of  wool  and 
a  fair  showin'  of  butter,  seems  's  if  we  ought  to  be 
even  with  the  world  by  'n'  by,"  said  his  father,  wist- 
fully. 

"Yes,  sir  ;  we'll  sing  our  emancipation  hymn  one 
of  these  days;  but  I  must  be  off.  Is  it  a  bargain, 
girls?  " 

Hardly  waiting  to  hear  their  cheery  affirmative 
he  hurried  away.  By  clever  management  he  had 
already  paid  Hiel  Saunders  several  hundred  dollars 
of  the  thousand  ;  but  he  knew  very  well  that  his 
father — almost  helpless  now  from  increasing  lame- 
ness— was  constantly   wondering   what   became  of 


196  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

the  money  that  came  in  ;  for  farmers  were  receiving 
wonderful  prices  for  all  kinds  of  produce,  and  Mr. 
Steele  knew  the  income  of  the  farm  was  steadily 
increasing.  Abram  always  reported  sales  and  prices 
most  dutifully  ;  but  what  became  of  the  money  ?  He 
wondered  that  morning  how  much  longer  he  could 
bear  the  double  burden  resting  upon  him.  After 
much  thought  he  had  written  to  Austin  a  full  state- 
ment of  the  case,  appealing  to  him  to  lead  a  better 
life,  to  live  down  his  disgrace,  and  in  simple  justice 
to  send  home  his  wages  until  the  awful  debt  was 
paid.  But  that  portion  of  the  army  with  which 
Austin  was  connected  was  moving  from  place  to 
place  in  the  far  South,  and  letters  were  often  lost. 
The  last  news  from  him  was  indirectly  received 
through  soldiers  at  home  on  furlough,  and  might 
not  be  reliable,  so  Abram  was  still  waiting  for  an 
answer  and  hoping  against  hope. 

"  There  !  isn't  this  ever  so  much  better  than  cook- 
ing for  a  hired  man?"  asked  Esther,  as  she  sat 
down  in  an  old  splint-bottom  rocking-chair  in  the 
sugar-house  a  day  or  two  later. 

Mary  occupied  an  upturned  box  near,  and  upon 
a  rough  little  table  between  them  was  a  work- 
basket  piled  high  with  "  sewing."  Just  above  the 
table  were  two  long  shelves  filled  with  books  and 
papers,  and  at  the  one  window  hung  a  white  curtain, 
"to  make  it  look  more  civilized,"  Mary  said.  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  room  was  the  wide  brick 
arch — hollow  in  the  center,  with  a  door  in  one  end 
— upon  which  was  the  sheet-iron  pan  filled  with 
sap,  boiling  and  bubbling,  and  filling  the  air  with 
steamy  sweetness. 


COMFORT-BAGS.  197 

A  pile  of  "  three-foot  wood"  filled  the  back  part 
of  the  sugar-house,  and  sap-holders,  pails,  etc., 
made  up  its  primitive  furnishings. 

Our  description  would  be  incomplete,  however, 
were  we  to  omit  the  pictures  upon  the  rough  board 
wall.  These  were  the  work  of  Benjie's  artistic  fin- 
gers. Here,  done  in  charcoal  or  red  chalk,  were 
various  heads,  most  of  them  to  illustrate  some  pe- 
culiarity of  form  or  feature ;  for  Benjie  was  a  half- 
fledged  phrenologist  as  well  as  an  artist.  Hence 
noses,  chins,  lips,  and  ears  indicated  special  "  stud- 
ies." The  war  had  given  him  new  inspiration, 
however,  and  generals'  heads  were  now  strangely 
introduced  into  his  gallery  of  abnormal  develop- 
ments !  Harper  s  Weeklies  were  also*  pinned  up 
here  and  there,  with  pictures  of  battle  scenes  and 
of  noted  men,  showing  that  our  Yankee  boy  was 
fully  up  with  the  times. 

It  was  no  cross  for  Esther  and  Mary  to  hurry 
through  with  their  share  of  the  housework  each 
morning,  and,  either  alone  or  together,  to  come  to 
this  quiet  and  unique  retreat.  Their  duties  were 
to  keep  the  fire  burning,  the  pan  well  filled  with 
sap,  and  at  the  proper  time  help  Benjie  "  sugar 
off."  Considerable  time  remained  for  other  work, 
and  their  first  enterprise  was  to  be  "comfort-bags  " 
for  the  soldiers. 

"  Have  you  the  list  of  things  to  put  in?  "  asked 
Mary,  as  she  carefully  measured  the  pretty  blue 
cloth,  ten  by  seven  inches,  for  the  bag  itself. 

Esther  answered  by  reading  the  list : 

"  A  needle-book,  pin-ball,  white  and  black  thread, 
buttons,  large  and  small,  pair  of  small  scissors,  bit 


198  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

of  bees-wax,  roll  of  plaster,  large  thimble,  a  letter, 
an  envelope  with  blank  paper  inside,  and  a  stamp." 

"  Doctor  Adams's  wife  says  that  a  good  many 
put  in  a  plug  of  tobacco,  but  I  wont  do  that,"  said 
Mary,  firmly. 

"  Of  course  not,"  replied  her  sister ;  "  but  we  might 
send  spruce  gum  instead." 

"Yes,  that's  more  sensible,"  said  Mary,  "and  I 
suppose  they  have  lots  of  time  to  chew  something. 
I've  a  great  mind  to  put  in  my  little  pearl-handled 
knife  for  my  soldier-boy.  I  guess  he  may  be  fond 
of  whittling." 

"  Well,  if  it  goes  I  hope  the  right  one  will  get  it, 
for  you  don't  find  pearl-handled  knives  like  that  very 
often.  Doctor  Snow  told  the  girls  to  put  in  a  little 
package  of  cayenne  pepper.  He  says  when  the 
poor  fellows  come  in  wet  and  cold  it  would  be 
splendid  to  have  a  cup  of  pepper-tea,"  said  Esther. 

"  That's  just  the  thing.  And  I'll  write  on  the 
outside  of  my  package,  '  To  be  divided  with  the 
rebels.'  It's  only  fair  to  give  them  a  peppering, 
too.' 

"  I  shall  send  my  little  black  Testament.  That 
will  be  precious  if  the  soldier  is  sick  or  homesick. 
It  is  easy  enough  to  fill  the  list,  all  but  the  letter. 
What  to  write  I  don't  know,"  said  Esther,  bending 
thoughtfully  over  her  work. 

"  Why,  really,  I  thought  practice  made  perfect ;  " 
and  Mary  gave  her  sister  a  tantalizing  glance. 

Esther's  face  flushed  hotly  from  chin  to  smooth 
brown  hair,  and  she  answered  not  a  word. 

"Speaking  of  letters,"  continued  Mary,  "did 
you    hear    them    telling,   the   other    evening,    how 


COM  FOR  T-BA  GS.  199 

Sophie  Adams's  correspondence  had  come  out?  It 
must  have  been  after  you  left,  then.  You  know 
she  sent  a  letter  several  months  ago,  and  got  an 
answer  right  away,  and  of  course  you  saw  the  photo- 
graph she  had — " 

Both  girls  paused  to  laugh  heartily,  for  Sophie 
Adams's  "  Sergeant  "  had  been  exhibited  all  over 
town. 

"  Then  she  had  her  picture  taken  when  that 
ambrotype-car  was  here,  and  Emma  Green  said  it 
was  a  sight.  She  borrowed  Emma's  rings,  and  so 
of  course  she  sprawled  her  hands,  and  she  wore  her 
aunt's  gold  chain.  Well,  she  sent  him  that ;  and 
finally  the  girls  said  that  Sophie  said  she  was  en- 
gaged to  him.  But  last  month,  when  Lieutenant 
Plumley  was  home  from  Washington,  he  told  her 
mother  something,  it  seems,  which  put  a  stop  to  it, 
and  now  some  of  the  Gilead  boys  have  written 
home  that  Sophie's  '  Sergeant '  is  a  married  man  ! 
It's  all  over  town,  and  she  feels  dreadfully.  You 
see  he  just  made  fun  of  her  letters  and  showed  her 
picture  to  all  the  boys,  and  so,  of  course,  it  was 
recognized.  They  say  she's  hardly  been  out  of  the 
house  since  it  happened." 

"No  wonder!"  said  Esther,  rather  severely. 
"  How  could  a  girl  be  so  foolish  ?  I  hope  it 
will  be  a  warning  to  the  rest  of  those  silly  village 
girls." 

.  "  Aint  we  glad  we  live  on  a  farm,  where  there's 
nothing  but  good  sense?"  asked  Mary,  serenely. 

While  Esther  was  laughing  quietly  over  this 
thrust  Benjie's  "  Hallo  there  ! "  was  heard  outside, 
and  Mary  ran  to  open  the  door. 


200  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

He  came  in  with  two  pails  brimming  full  of  sap, 
suspended  from  the  hooks  of  the  wooden  "  yoke  " 
made  to  fit  his  neck  and  shoulders. 

"  O,  do  be  quick,  and  let  us  have  the  mail," 
cried  the  girls;  for  Benjie  had  been  "across  lots" 
to  the  village  on  the  hard-crusted  snow,  which  still 
loitered  in  the  woods  and  shaded  hollows. 

"  O,  yes,"  responded  the  boy,  as  he  let  down  his 
heavy  pails  and  hung  up  his  yoke,  "  you're  ter- 
rible glad  to  see  me  when  I  come  from  the  post- 
office.  Here's  your  letter,  Esther,  and  it's  such  a 
fat  one  you'll  have  to  give  me  two  pieces  of  mince- 
pie  at  noon.  I've  got  one  from  John  Henry  Hickey, 
and  some  papers.  Now,  Esther,  read  yours  out 
loud  first,  and  then  I'll  read  mine." 

For  answer  Esther  gave  her  brother  a  playful 
push  and  slipped  her  letter  into  her  pocket. 

"  O,  do  read  yours,  Benjie,  I'm  in  a  hurry  to 
know  if  the  Guards  are  going  to  the  front,"  said 
Mary. 

"  No,  they're  still  at  Fort  Stevens  ;  but  this  is  what 
he  says  about  it : 

"  '  We  hear  that  the  hitherto  inglorious  Gilead 
Guards  are  to  be  called  to  the  front,  and  we  may 
yet  make  a  brilliant  record  on  some  field  to  be 
historic.  For  I  tell  you  when  we  do  move  the  un- 
derpinning of  the  rebellion  will  give  way. 

"'Our  heavy  artillery  don't  expect  to  do  any 
flirting  with  dangerous  weapons.  Do  we  want  to 
go  ?  Most  of  us  do,  I  truly  believe,  and  if  all  the 
talk  amounts  to  nothing  a  good  many  will  be  dis- 
appointed. But  you  know  the  hunter  turned  pale 
with  fright  when,  on  inquiring  of  the  woodman  if 


COM  FOR  T-BA  GS.  20 1 

he  had  seen  any  lions'  tracks  around  there,  he  was 
told  that  the  lion  himself  was  near  by.  It  may  be 
so  with  us.  It  is  certain  that  General  Sedgwick 
has  asked  for  this  regiment,  and  I  for  one  am  tired 
staying  around  here  drilling,  digging  ditches,  etc. 

"  '  I  suppose  you  have  begun  to  make  sugar  by  this 
time,  and  I'd  give  a  month's  pay  if  I  could  go  up 
to  our  old  sugar  place  and  help  father  tap  the 
maples.  George  and  I  got  talking  about  it  last 
night,  till  we  could  smell  the  sap  and  the  birch 
and  see  the  snow-banks  under  the  trees  with  chip- 
munks scurrying  over  them. 

" '  And  then  we  thought  of  father  plodding 
around  there  all  alone,  and  I  tell  you  what ! — it 
was  dark  in  our  tent,  and  I  sha'n't  say  whether  we 
had  wet  eyes  or  not.  It's  nobody's  business.  Gov- 
ernment don't  pay  any  thing  extra  for  smiles.'  " 

There  fell  a  little  silence  after  this,  and  the  girls 
could  hardly  set  their  stitches,  for  they,  too,  were 
paid  nothing  "extra  for  smiles  !  "  and  it  was  very 
easy  in  those  days  to  shed  a  few  tears  over  a  home- 
sick soldier-boy's  letter. 

But  Benjie  could  never  keep  a  newspaper  to  him- 
self, and  he  was  soon  slapping  his  knee,  according 
to  his  usual  habit,  as  he  exclaimed  : 

"Good  enough!  Grant's  been  to  Washington, 
and  they've  made  him  lieutenant-general.  Since 
then  seems  's  if  every  thing  had  started  up  lively,  and 
I  tell  you  there's  going  to  be  a  spring  campaign 
that'll  finish  up  our  quarrel,  I  believe." 

A  few  minutes  later  there  was  another  concus- 
sion, and  a  "  Hear  this,  will  you  ?  Guess  we  better 
have  a   regiment  sent  up  here  to  Vermont.     '  Cop- 


202  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

perheads  in  Jeffers.'  I  don't  believe  it's  more  'n 
fifty  miles  from  here  as  the  crow  flies." 

He  then  proceeded  to  read  : 

"  '  Rev.  Mr.  Stowe,  of  Jeffers,  is  a  patriotic  minis- 
ter who  is  not  ashamed  to  preach  his  sentiments. 
Unfortunately,  a  portion  of  his  flock  are  Southern 
sympathizers — that  is,  copperheads.  A  week  ago 
they  took  possession  of  the  church,  armed- with  blud- 
geons, and  locked  the  doors,  declaring  he  should 
not  preach  there  again.  One  man  tried  to  get  in 
through  a  window,  and  they  felled  him  to  the  ground. 
But  during  the  week  there  was  a  mighty  reaction, 
and  last  Sunday  he  was  escorted  to  the  church  by  two 
hundred  citizens,  and  he  preached.  It  need  hardly 
be  said  that  his  theme  was  loyalty  to  the  govern- 
ment.' " 

"  Good  enough  !  "  ejaculated  Benjie  again. 
"  There's  some  excuse  for  the  rebs  themselves— 
they've  been  brought  up  with  slavery ;  but  I  just 
despise  a  copperhead  's  bad  as  King  does-  And 
that  makes  me  think  of  the  best  joke.  Yes,  I  know 
the  sap-buckets  'U  run  over,  but  I  must  tell  you  this. 
It  happened  when  I  was  in  Green's  this  morning 
after  those  tin  spiles.  You  know  Lib  Slocum's 
going  up  to  the  '  White  Mountings  '  this  summer  to 
help  spend  some  of  the  money  old  Slopum  has 
made  out  of  government." 

This  was  a  bit  of  neighborhood  gossip,  repeated 
with  a  fine  scorn  for  "shoddy"  and  disloyalty  until 
it  had  become  a  stock  phrase. 

"  But  you  didn't  know  Lib  was  home  from  Bos- 
ton ?  She  is,  though,  and  came  tiptoeing  into  the 
store  with  a  green  silk  dress  on  and  her  ribbons  and 


COMFORT-BAGS.  203 

dingle-dangles  all  a-fluttering.  She  looked  so  kind 
of  airy  and  foreign  that  I  got  behind  the  plows  in 
the  back  part  of  the  store.  But  I  could  hear.  She 
minced  up  to  the  counter,  and  says  she,  '  Mr.  Green, 
I  believe? '  " 

At  this  absurd  recollection  Benjie  fell  off  the 
bucket  which  was  his  seat  and  finished  his  story 
on  the  floor. 

"  Then  she  had  over  a  lot  of  palaver  about  Boston, 
and  wound  up  by  buying  four  yards  of  cloth  and  a 
spool  of  thread  and  one  of  those  little  hooks  that 
you  twist  thread  round  to  make  trimmin'.  Well, 
Green  looked  awful  stony-like  in  his  face,  jus'  as  if 
she'd  asked  him  for  a  subscription,  but  he  rolled  up 
her  things  and  tried  to  change  the  bill  she  handed 
out.  It  was  a  twenty-dollar  bill,  and  he  fumbled 
through  his  till  and  then  went  over  to  Barstow's 
corner  before  he  could  fix  it.  By  'n'  by  he  brought 
along  the  change,  and  then,  then,  sir,  she  handed 
him  back  the  bundle  and  told  him  she'd  thank  him 
to  send  it  out  to  her  '  papa's ! '  " 

After  an  interval  of  laughter  Benjie  continued  : 

"You'd  ought  to  've  heard  Green  talk  after  she 
went  out.  He  almost  swore,  and  he  said  he'd 
throw  her  things  into  the  road  ;  but  Barstow  told 
him  to  carry  out  the  joke.  He  advised  him  to  have 
his  hired  man  take  the  big  wagon  and  span  and 
drive  up  there  with  a  flourish,  and  have  two  or 
three  fellers  to  help  carry  the  bundle  into  the  house. 
They'll  spread  the  story  all  'round  aforehand,  of 
course.  I'll  bet  they'll  have  lots  of  fun,  and  I'm 
going  over  to-night  to  see." 

Having  finished  his  story  Benjie  hurried  away  to 


204  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

gather  the  sap,  while  Esther  and  Mary  discussed 
the  matter  as  they  filled  the  "comfort-bags." 

"  To  think  that  Lib  Slocum,  who  couldn't  learn 
the  multiplication  table  to  save  her  life,  should  have 
money  to  throw  away,  while  we  can't  even  afford  to 
go  off  to  school !     It  isn't  fair,"  said  Mary,  bitterly. 

She  had  the  same  feeling  that  you  have  had,  per- 
chance, when  some  addle-pated  human  received  the 
shekels  which  you  could  have  used  so  wisely. 

"  But  we  mustn't  forget  how  the  money  came," 
said  Esther.  "  Every  body  says  her  father  has  been 
just  as  dishonest  as  he  could  be  with  those  con- 
tracts and  that  he  may  be  obliged  to  run  to  Canada 
yet." 

"  He  can  be  spared,  and  I  do  hope  Rast  will  go 
too.  It  just  makes  me  mad  to  see  so  much  mean- 
ness driving  'round  behind  those  splendid  black 
horses  of  theirs." 

"  Rast  would  be  delighted  to  add  your  good  sense 
and  respectability  to  his  turn-out,"  suggested  Esther. 

"  Me !  "  and  Mary,  quite  unable  to  express  her 
indignation,  began  to  prepare  their  noonday  lunch, 
while  Esther  went  out  where  the  sunshine  fell 
through  interlacing  trees  to  read  her  precious  letter. 

Don's  convictions  were  similar  to  John  Henry's, 
and  he,  too,  was  anxious  to  see  what  real  war  was 
like. 

A  little  later  word  came  that  the  "Guards"  were 
ordered  to  the  front. 


SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  205 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES. 

THE  Standard  of  May  27,  1864,  brought  the 
following  urgent  message  from  Mrs.  Daven- 
port, the  State  Superintendent  of  the  Sanitary 
Commission  : 

"  My  latest  dispatches  represent  the  greatest 
need  of  every  thing  for  use  on  the  battle-fields. 
Those  towns  in  Massachusetts  that  received  dis- 
patches Saturday  evening,  turned  out  en  masse  and 
sewed  all  day  Sunday  and  continued  their  work 
till  the  compaign  was  over.  We  can  have  no  other 
thought  now  but  to  do  every  thing  in  our  power  to 
help  the  sufferers  and  thus  to  strengthen  the  army. 
If  we  do  all  we  can,  and  stimulate  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  to  do  their  part,  it  does  seem 
that  this  terrible  conflict  may  be  brought  to  an  end, 
for  at  length  we  have  a  leader.*  Cannot  the  ladies 
of  your  town  suspend  all  other  interests,  and  all 
work  resolutely  to  supply  what  cannot  be  bought 
in  market  at  any  price  ?  Cotton  and  flannel  gar- 
ments, slippers,  socks,  quilts  or  spreads,  dressing- 
gowns,  every  thing  that  can  be  needed — there  is  no 
danger  of  a  mistake.  Old  cotton  and  linen  are 
much  wanted,  and  maple-sugar  and  dried  fruits. 
The  commission  sent  two  steamers  of  two  hun- 
dred tons  capacity,  fully  laden  with  supplies,  and 
*  General  Grant. 


206  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

with  a  large  corps  of  trained  relief  agents  and 
nurses,  male  and  female,  from  Baltimore  into  the 
James  River,  to  follow  General  Butler's  column  and 
reach  the  army  of  General  Grant  that  way.  Two 
other  boats  went  from  Washington  laden  in  the 
same  way  on  the  ioth  to  Aquia  Creek,  thence  to 
send  supplies  and  agents  across  the  country  to 
Fredericksburg. 

"  Now  we  must  send  supplies  to  take  the  place 
of  these  as  fast  as  used — tons  per  day — among  our 
tens  of  thousands  of  wounded. 

"  The  wounded  of  the  enemy  must  also  be  cared 
for.  Every  stitch  is  of  consequence,  and  they  ap- 
peal to  the  women  of  every  house  to  help  carry  for- 
ward this  mighty  work.  The  government  is  doing 
what  was  never  before  done  by  any  government  or 
dreamed  of.  But  the  medical  bureau  is  not  allowed 
to  advance  its  stores,  so  the  commission  does  the 
brunt  of  the  work  in  first  reaching  the  sufferers,  and 
its  ambulance-train  bears  them  off  to  the  reach  of 
the  government  supplies  and  surgeons.  Send  by 
express  (for  this  emergency)  to  Brattleboro." 

The  women  of  Gilead  thought  they  were  doing 
about  all  they  could  through  the  "  Soldiers'  Aid," 
but  when  they  heard  this  bugle-blast  there  was  a 
general  uprising. 

Mrs.  Plumley  and  Doctor  Adams's  wife  took  a 
carriage  as  soon  as  the  call  came  and  drove  from 
house  to  house  through  the  village  and  far  beyond. 

But  what  could  these  country  women  give  more 
than  they  had  given  ?  Why,  they  gave  what  they 
wanted  to  keep  ! 

There  was  old  Grandma'am  Pike  who  had  some 


SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  207 

linen  sheets  which  she  had  kept  years  and  years. 
She  went  to  the  big  polished  bureau  with  its  brass 
handles,  which  stood  in  the  everlasting  twilight  of 
her  "  best  room,"  and  got  down  upon  her  stiff  old 
knees  before  the  lower  drawer. 

"They're  a  part  o'  my  settin'  out,"  said  she,  piti- 
fully, looking  up  into  Mrs.  Adams's  animated  face. 
"  And  I  never  'spected  to  part  with  'em,  never ! 
I  spun  the  flax  on  my  own  little  wheel  and  the 
thread  was  'mazin'  fine,  and  I  made  'em  up  with 
uncommon  little  stitches,  too — none  of  'em's  broke 
in  all  these  years.  But  if  the  soldiers  want  'em, 
and  need  'em,  they'll  hev  to  go  ;  "  and  overcoming 
her  natural  selfishness — a  hard  thing  at  her  age — 
she  pulled  out  four  soft,  fine  sheets,  while  the  faded 
rose-leaves  in  which  she  had  packed  them  fluttered 
down  like  butterflies'  ghosts  upon  the  carpet. 
"  Could  ye  jest  write,  '  These  come  from  Grand- 
ma'am  Pike,'  and  pin  it  onto  them  ?  Then  if  our 
Gilead  boys  got  'em  they'd  know  I  didn't  feel  no 
ways  stingy  toward  'em." 

"Yes,  indeed,  I  will  mark  them,"  assented  Mrs. 
Adams,  as  she  gratefully  received  the  precious  gift. 

This  was  an  inspiration  to  others,  who  said  :  "  If 
Grandma'am  Pike's  given  away  her  linen  sheets  its 
time  for  us  to  give  away  our  keepsakes." 

Mrs.  Rollins  grimly  presented  a  "  rising  sun  " 
bed-quilt,  wishing  in  her  heart  that  it  might  find 
its  way  to  Thomas,  but  quite  sure  that,  whatever  be- 
came of  it,  she  had  done  her  duty  by  her  country. 

But  most  of  the  gifts  were  from  those  who  forgot 
themselves  entirely  in  the  overwhelming  desire  to 
help. 


208  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS, 

Little  companies  of  ladies  gathered  that  evening 
to  make  shirts  and  other  articles,  sewing  until  long 
past  rest-hours.  Indeed,  away  up  on  the  side  of 
the  mountain,  lights  burned  all  night  at  Mrs.  Smith's 
and  Mrs.  Hickey's  as  they  plied  their  needles. 

Esther  had  already  begun  her  summer-school  in 
the  "mountain  district,"  earlier  than  usual,  in  the 
hope  that  she  might  go  to  Hope  Seminary  in  the 
fall. 

A  note  and  a  copy  of  the  appeal  reached  her 
early  in  the  afternoon,  and  at  three  o'clock  she  dis- 
missed the  scholars,  telling  them  how  the  poor  sol- 
diers were  suffering,  and  that  every  body  was  going 
to  give  what  they  could  right  away  to  help  them. 

"Teacher,"  said  Jasmine  Ripley,  her  hand  up- 
held, eagerly,  "  do  you  think  they'd  like  maple- 
sugar  hearts?  " 

"Yes,  indeed!  they  ask  for  maple-sugar;  but 
don't  rob  yourselves,  children." 

Poor  little  things !  With  their  bare,  brown  feet, 
and  plain,  cheap  clothing,  they  did  not  look  as  if 
they  had  any  thing  to  spare ;  but  as  she  watched 
them  trooping  up  the  shady  roadways  Esther  felt 
quite  sure  that  some  of  them  were  already  planning 
their  little  sacrifices.  She  herself  hastened  to  call 
upon  Vic  Armstrong,  as  the  one  most  likely  to  aid 
in  this  emergency.  And  it  was  a  pleasure  now  to 
"  run  up  to  Vic's,"  for  a  marvelous  change  had  come 
to  the  little  woman  and  her  home. 

As  Esther  approached  she  saw  her,  sewing  in 
hand,  seated  between  two  trees  near  the  house. 
Always  pretty,  Vic  was  doubly  attractive  now  in 
her  clean,  neatly  fitting  calico  dress,  with   muslin 


SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  209 

ruffles  at  neck  and  wrists.  Her  beautiful  hair  was 
coiled  up  in  a  net  whose  wide  silken  meshes  could 
not  conceal  its  shining  abundance. 

"  O,  Vic,  how  nice  you  look !  I  believe  I  must 
kiss  you,"  said  Esther;  and  Vic,  smiling  and  dim- 
pling, sprang  up  to  kiss  her  friend,  not  once,  but 
thrice. 

"  How  well  your  yard  looks,  and  how  your  flowers 
are  springing  up!"  and  Esther  looked  around  ad- 
miringly upon  the  hints  of  beauty  in  that  once 
desolate  front  yard. 

"  Yes,  I  guess  it's  because  I  have  the  sun  here  all 
day.  Frank  helped  me  last  night,  and  set  out  vines 
all  over  that  stump,  like  Mrs.  Stubbs's.  I've  got 
lots  of  seed  in,  too  ;  and,  Esther,  I've  made  a  tidy 
for  my  big  rocker — yes,  ma'am,  and  finished  it ;  and 
now  I'm  making  a  pretty  patch-work  quilt." 

Esther  turned  and  looked  admiringly  into  the 
animated  face. 

"  O,  Vic,  isn't  it  nice  !  How  different  every  thing 
seems  !  " 

"  I  know  it !  "  cried  Vic,  impulsively.  "  O,  what  a 
little  fool  I  was !  Why  didn't  somebody  take  me 
and  shake  me?  Well,  you  may  laugh,  and  I 
know  you're  thinkin'  that  I  didn't  like  to  be  shaken 
very  well.  But,  Esther,  what's  school  out  so  early 
for?    It  can't  be  four  o'clock." 

Then  the  story  was  told,  and,  pausing  only  long 
enough  to  put  a  clean  dress  on  Nellie,  the  two 
started,  with  the  little  maiden  between  them,  to 
visit  the  most  accessible  homes. 

Mrs.  Stanley,  who  had  become  a  sort  of  patron 
saint  to  these  two  girls,  made  a  quick  response,  her 
14 


210  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

eyes  kindling  as  she  heard  the  appeal.  From  a  tiny 
closet  she  brought  a  handsome  dressing-gown  gayly 
lined  with  soft  crimson. 

"  I  am  sure  Donald  would  wish  me  to  send  this 
if  he  were  here ; "  and  she  held  it  up  lovingly. 
"  He  always  took  so  much  comfort  in  it  Sun- 
days, after  church,  and  evenings  when  we  two 
were  alone."  Struggling  to  suppress  her  emo- 
tion, she  continued  after  a  little :  "  I  do  hope  it 
will  cheer  some  poor  fellow  in  the  hospital.  And 
I  might  as  well  put  his  slippers  with  it.  Yes,  I 
will.  Why  should  I  stop  to  ask  if  he  will  want 
them  some  time  in  the  future?  No,  the  need  is  too 
great." 

And  Esther  bit  her  lips,  forcing  herself  to  smile, 
glad  indeed  to  see  even  these  sacred  things  given, 
but  questioning  within  herself, 

"  Why  should  she  speak  as  though  he  might  not 
come  home?  " 

As  they  left  the  house  with  their  precious  pack- 
age Vic  said  softly  : 

"  Don't  you  remember  when  some  of  the  folks 
found  out  that  Don  had  a  dressing-gown  ?  They 
said  he  was  '  putting  on  airs,'  and  wanted  to  be  as 
fine  as  the  minister.  But  Joe  says  he's  brave  as  a 
lion  about  every  thing.  Joe  says  he  helps  Elder 
Putnam  in  the  meetings,  and  he  says  it  takes  real 
grit  to  speak  and  pray  there,  when  so  many  of  the 
boys  laugh  at  such  things.  I  guess  the  folks  here 
at  home  '11  think  a  little  different  when  he  gets  back  ; 
and  Joe's  sure  he'll  be  a  captain  or  something  be- 
fore long." 

All  of  which  was  very  pleasant   to  Esther's   ears, 


SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  211 

but  she  walked  on  silently,  the  dressing-gown  and 
slippers  held  tightly  against  her  heart. 

Mrs.  Labrique,  the  sturdy  little  Frenchwoman, 
who  lived  in  a  log-house  by  the  brook,  listened  with 
many  exclamations  of  sympathy  to  their  appeal 
and  gave  a  pair  of  fat  feather  pillows  for  "  the  head 
of  them  to  lie  soft  on." 

A  grim,  unapproachable  spinster  at  the  next 
house  listened  in  absolute  silence,  and  as  silently 
extended  to  them  a  pair  of  soft  wool  socks,  just 
finished. 

Mrs.  Spinner  greeted  them  with  a  downcast 
countenance. 

"  Bub  told  me  what  you  said,  teacher,  and  I 
want  to  help,  but  I  haint  nothin'  to  give.  Now, 
that  aint  the  truth — not  quite,  only  '  so  to  speak  !  ' 
Because  I've  got  some  dried  ros'bries,  and  I've 
been  savin'  'em  till  you  come  here  to  board.  If  I 
should  send  'em  to  the  soldiers  you  couldn't  have 
any  sass  all  whilst  you  was  here,  for  there  aint  an- 
other livin'  thing  to  make  sass  of.  Now,  you  may 
guess  my  mind's  been  all  topsy-turvy  ever  sence 
Bub  come  home  from  school  ;  "  and  with  her  face 
quivering  all  over  with  emotion  Mrs.  Spinner  car- 
ried her  apron  to  her  eyes. 

"Why,  Mrs.  Spinner,  I  don't  want  any  sauce. 
I'd  rather  have  the  berries  go  to  the  soldiers  if  you'd 
like  to  send  them  ; "'  and  Esther  put  her  young  arms 
around  the  poor  tired  woman,  hardly  knowing 
whether  to  laugh  or  cry. 

"  Would  ye  now?  Be  ye  sure  you  could  stan'  it? 
Well,  then,  I  shall  do  it,  for  nothin'  makes  me  feel 
quite  so  discouraged  and  good  for  nothin'  as  not  to 


212  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

be  able  to  give  ;"  and,  wiping  away  her  tears,  Mrs. 
Spinner  soon  brought  forward  two  or  three  quarts 
of  nicely  dried  berries. 

"  They're  beautiful  berries  as  ever  was.  Bub 
and  Irene  picked  'em  right  upon  the  slope  yonder," 
said  she,  all  in  a  glow  of  satisfaction,  as  she  tied 
them  up  securely  in  a  clean  salt-bag. 

A  few  more  calls  and  they  paused  at  Mrs. 
Stubbs's,  whose  deft  fingers  soon  cut  and  basted  a 
plain  hospital  shirt,  upon  which  they  sewed  dili- 
gently until  late  in  the  evening. 

When  Esther  went  to  unlock  the  school-house 
door  at  half  past  eight  the  following  morning  she 
found  a  dozen  boys  and  girls  waiting,  each  one 
bearing  a  package. 

"  O,  teacher,  we've  brung  our  sugar-hearts," 
shouted  Flora  Denhurst,  "  and  we'd  rather  give  'em 
than  not." 

Sure  enough,  the  little  packages  contained  cakes 
of  maple-sugar,  both  round  and  heart-shaped, 
amounting  to  several  pounds,  according  to  scales 
used  by  mortals.  How  much  they  weighed  when 
love  and  self-denial  were  added,  who  can  tell? 

"  Teacher,  I  bit  off  a  corner  of  my  heart,"  con- 
fessed Flora's  little  sister  Josie.  "  It's  very  sweet. 
Do  you  think  the  soldiers  '11  care  ?  "  and  fearing 
some  one  might  call  her  selfish  she  hid  her  face  in 
Esther's  dress  and  began  to  cry. 

"  No,  dear,  if  the  soldiers  could  see  your  little 
white  teeth,  and  could  know  how  much  you  love 
maple-sugar,  I'm  sure  they'd  think  this  was  the 
sweetest  cake  in  the  box.  But  who  brought  this?" 
holding  up  a  bundle  tied  with  a  good  fish-line. 


SELF  DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  213 

Byron  Smith  nodded  in  reply. 

"  That's  spruce-gum  and  slippery-el-lum,"  said  he. 
"  Me  and  the  girls  got  it,  and  mother  said  'twould 
be  good  for  a  change." 

"  So  it  will.  The  slippery-elm  is  ever  so  good 
for  a  cough.  But  why  did  you  put  this  nice  fish- 
line  around  it?     Wont  you  want  it?  "  she  asked. 

Byron's  face  reddened. 

"  Yes'm,  but  I  wanted  to  send  it.  There  wasn't 
nothin'  but  common  string  unless  I  took  that." 

Esther  understood,  and  the  fish-line  went. 

Within  four  days  the  box  was  packed  and  sent. 
The  list  of  articles  it  contained  was  published  in  the 
Standard,  and  may  be  of  interest : 

"Sixteen  sheets,  3  quilts,  13  cotton  shirts,  6 
woolen  shirts,  5  dozen  towels,  71  rolls  bandage, 
7  rolls  flannel,  4  rolls  cotton  cloth,  I  large  bundle 
linen,  1  dressing-gown,  I  pair  slippers,  5  pair  socks, 
2  bottles  wine,  16  pounds  dried  berries,  17  pounds 
dried  apple,  41  pounds  maple-sugar,  \  pound 
spruce-gum,  6  feather  pillows,  I  dozen  arm-slings, 
2  comfort-bags." 

A  few  days  later  one  of  Vic's  characteristic  little 
notes  reached  Esther  begging  for  a  call  directly 
after  school.  The  little  mistress  of  the  cottage  was 
evidently  in  trouble,  for  she  met  her  friend  with  red 
and  swollen  eyes  and  every  appearance  of  distress. 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  you,  Vic  ?  Have 
you  had  bad  news  from  Joe?"  queried  Esther, 
throwing  her  hat  upon  the  table,  taking  up  the 
perplexed  baby  and  seating  herself  in  a  listening 
attitude. 

"  I  don't  know — that  is,  may  be  you  wont  call  it 


214  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

bad  news.  Read  Joe's  letter — that  page,  and 
this." 

Esther  began  at  the  point  indicated  and  read  : 
"  I  guess  you'll  be  surprised,  and  I  hope  glad,  to 
know  that  I  am  trying  to  be  a  Christian.  It  aint 
any  thing  sudden,  for  I've  been  thinking  about  it  a 
good  while.  You  see  I  didn't  know,  Vic,  that  men 
could  be  so  awful  wicked  as  some  of  these  soldiers 
be.  And  when  I  saw  them  drinking  and  gambling, 
and  heard  them  swear,  it  roused  me  clear  through. 
I  wished  I  had  power  to  strike  them  down  in  their 
tracks.  You  see  I  felt  like  they  was  rebels,  not 
against  the  country,  but  against  God,  and  I  felt  like 
fighting  for  the  government  of  high  heaven.  And 
the  more  I  heard,  the  worse  I  felt.  I  declare  it  was 
as  if  they  was  abusing  my  best  friend.  But  then  I 
began  to  think  that  I  was  a  rebel,  too,  for  I  hadn't 
done  any  thing  to  show  which  side  I  was  on.  One 
day  I  felt  so  stirred  up  over  it  it  seemed  as  if  I'd 
die.  So  then  I  hunted  up  Don  Stanley,  and  he 
found  Elder  Put,  and  we  had  a  prayer-meeting. 
They  prayed  and  I  prayed,  and  I  tell  you  before 
meeting  was  done  I  knew  which  side  I  was  on.  It 
wasn't  hard,  because  the  recruiting  office  was  wide 
open,  and  when  I'd  once  made  up  my  mind  there 
I  was,  an  accepted  volunteer  !  Just  as  sure  of  it  as 
I  was  when  my  name  went  on  the  list  up  in  Gilead 
that  I  was  one  of  the  Guards.  O,  I  tell  you,  Vic, 
when  you  think  of  your  poor  Joe  in  a  battle  now 
you  needn't  be  afraid" — the  bottom  of  the  page 
was  reached,  and  Esther's  eyes  were  full  of  happy 
tears. 

"  Why,  Vicky,  isn't  it  grand  ?     I  should  think  you 


SELF-DENIAL  SUPPLIES.  215 

would  be  singing  for  joy.  Tell  me  what  there  is  to 
cry  about,"  said  she,  pleadingly. 

"Joe  was  good  enough  before,"  exclaimed  Vic, 
pettishly.  "  He  didn't  do  any  thing  wicked  ;  he 
was  'way  up  above  me  in  goodness,  and  I've  just 
been  trying  to  catch  up  to  him  for  a  whole  year.  I 
found  out  he  was  studyin'  books  then  and  getting  to 
know  more  than  I,  so  Frank  and  I  bought  books  too, 
and  studied  last  winter  'most  every  night.  I  learned 
lots  of  things,  just  to  surprise  him.  And  you  know 
how  I've  learned  to  cook.  Why,  my  bread  is  'most 
as  good  as  Mrs.  Stubbs's ;  Frank  says  so.  And  we've 
got  the  farm  all  paid  for,  and  fixed  up  things  real 
nice,  all  for  him.  And  now,  now,  when  I  begun  to 
think  I  was  just  about  as  he  would  like  to  find  me 
when  he  comes  home,  now  he  goes  and  gets  to  be 
a  Christian  and  goes  'way,  'way  beyond  me  again.  I 
can't  bear  it,  Esther,  I  really  can't  bear  it!"  and 
down  went  her  head  into  baby  Nellie's  lap,  within 
reach  of  Esther's  caressing  hand. 

For  a  few  moments  Esther  did  not  know  what  to 
say.  Absurd  and  childish  as  Vic's  reasoning  was, 
she  knew  that  it  meant  a  great  deal  to  her.  So  she 
sat  in  the  silence  of  the  little  room  praying  very 
earnestly  for  wisdom. 

"  Vic,  dear,"  she  said  at  length,  "  who  has  helped 
you  so  far  in  trying  to  catch  up  with  Joe,  as  you 
call  it." 

"  You  have,"  was  the  low  answer. 

"  But  if  I  have  done  any  thing  it  was  because 
God  put  it  in  my  mind,  for  we  don't  do  good  things 
naturally.  So  if  he  hadn't  helped  you  you  could 
not  have  overcome  your  bad  habits  as  you  have. 


216  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

And  the  same  Spirit  that  has  helped  you  has  lifted 
Joe  up  another  step  higher  than  either  of  you  had 
reached  before.  Joe  was  willing  to  be  helped,  but 
God  is  just  the  same  always  toward  every  body.  So 
if  you  really  want  to  catch  up  to  Joe  again  you 
needn't  stay  behind  a  single  day  unless  you  choose. 
Joe  talks  about  it  like  a  soldier,  but  we  can  be  sol- 
diers in  Christ's  army,  Vic,  as  well  as  the  men.  And 
you  know  Joe  has  done  right.  He  came  to  a  place 
where  he  must  be  a  better  man  or  a  worse  man 
than  ever  before.  What  if  he'd  begun  to  drink  and 
swear  ?  O,  Vic,  it  is  the  best  news  you  ever  had  ! 
And  it  is  just  as  he  says,  if  he  goes  into  battle  now, 
even  if  he  should  be  killed  you  would  know  he  was 
safe." 

Little  Nellie  had  been  looking  with  wide,  solemn 
ev£s  into  Esther's  face,  and  as  she  paused  she 
clasped  her  little  hands  and  lisped,  "  Tan  I  say  my 
pray-er  now?"  Not  waiting  for  a  reply,  she  began 
in  reverent  tones,  "  Our  Fa'ver  which  art  in  heav- 
en," closing  as  she  always  did,  "  B'ess  Papa  Joe, 
keep  him  all  safe,  and  b'ing  him  home  to  mamma." 

With  a  little  cry  Vic  caught  the  child  to  her 
heart  sobbing,  "  O,  baby,  you  and  I  must  catch  up 
to  Papa  Joe,  yes,  we  must ! " 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  217 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

TWO     LIVES     FOR     ONE. 

"  And  I  saw  in  a  vision  how  far  and  fleet 
That  fatal  bullet  went  speeding  forth 
Till  it  reached  a  town  in  the  distant  North, 
Till  it  reached  a  house  in  a  sunny  street, 
Till  it  reached  a  heart  that  ceased  to  beat 
Without  a  murmur,  without  a  cry  ; 
.  And  a  bell  was  tolled  in  that  far-off  town, 
For  one  who  had  passed  from  cross  to  crown. — 
And  the  neighbors  wondered  that  she  should  die." 

— Longfelloiv. 

IT  was  a  beautiful  morning  in  early  June,  and  as 
Esther  started  from  her  boarding-place — she 
was  now  at  Mrs.  Spinner's — her  heart  seemed  to 
respond  involuntarily  to  its  rhythm.  June  mornings 
have  often  been  immortalized  in  prose  and  poetry, 
but  in  the  mountain  district,  where  Nature  so  nearly 
had  her  own  way,  there  was  a  kind  of  original  fresh- 
ness which  was  simply  indescribable.  It  was  as  if, 
for  the  sake  of  those  who  lived  there  in  a  pinched 
and  lonely  style,  a  little  panorama  of  days  had  been 
planned  full  of  quiet  revelations  and  surprises.  Mrs. 
Spinner's  twins,  Adna  and  Alta,  who  were  nearly 
four  years  old,  had  that  summer  begun  their  scho- 
lastic career,  much  to  their  mother's  relief  and  Es- 
ther's perplexity.  A  pillow  had  been  sent  to  the 
school-house  with  the  two  babies,  on  which  one 
curly  head,  and  sometimes  both,  reposed  for  a  long 


218  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

nap  every  forenoon.  These  two  cherubs  clung  to 
their  beloved  teacher  as  they  ran  clown  the  mount- 
ain-path puffing  in  unison,  as  though  they  had  but 
one  pair  of  lungs  between  them. 

It  was  early,  for  Esther  liked  to  "  set  copies  "  be- 
fore school  ;  but  the  twins  were  to  play  by  the 
brook  under  certain  restrictions  which  had  been 
vigorously  impressed  by  their  mother.  As  they 
reached  the  main  road  Esther  saw  Hiel  Saunders 
riding  rapidly  toward  her  on  one  of  Squire  Fletch- 
er's farm-horses.  As  he  saw  her  he  slackened  his 
speed,  finally  checking  his  horse  to  say : 

"  You  hain't  heard  the  news,  have  ye?" 

Hiel's  face  looked  drawn  and  agitated,  and  Esther 
asked,  with  a  vague  alarm  : 

"  What  is  it  ?  Do  you  mean  bad  news  from  the 
army  ?  " 

Hiel  nodded. 

"  Awful !  You  see  our  boys  was  in  battle  day 
before  yisterday,  down  to  Cold  Harbor,  and  they 
got  all  cut  up.  The  list  come  las'  night,  and  squire 
and  me  're  out  to  notify  the  friends.  I'm  goin'  to 
Widder  Stanley's  an'  then  up  to  Hickey's  V  Smith's, 
an'  so  on  round  this  deestrict." 

"  Mr.  Saunders,  were  any  of  them  killed  ?  "  Es- 
ther forced  herself  to  ask. 

"  Killed  !  I  guess  they  was  !  Don  Stanley, 
George  Hickey,  two  of  the  Smiths,  either  two  of 
the  boys  or  him  an'  one  boy,  we  don't  know  which. 
Then  up  t'other  way  there's  Thomas  Rollins  'n'  Fol- 
linsbee.  O,  I  can't  tell  ye  ;  there's  a  long  list  of 
'em." 

Hiel  drew  his  hand  across  his  eyes  and  struck  his 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  219 

horse  sharply,  as  though  he  could  not  venture  an- 
other word.  Esther  stood  as  he  had  left  her  for  an 
instant  and  then  sank  down  at  the  foot  of  a  huge 
maple,  whose  roots  reached  into  the  roadway.  For 
a  brief  time  a  great  darkness  mercifully  shut  out 
the  glory  of  the  morning.  With  her  head  against 
the  tree-trunk  and  hands  clinched  tightly  in  the 
moist  brown  earth  she  sat  stunned,  crushed,  help- 
less. Then  a  wood-bird  cleft  the  air  overhead, 
alighting  upon  a  swaying  bough,  and  from  his  little 
throat  burst  a  song  so  shrill  and  sweet,  so  full  of 
abandon,  that  it  reached  the  stricken  heart  like  a 
sharp  needle-thrust,  and  she  drew  a  long,  quivering 
breath. 

"  O  God  !  O  God  !  "  she  moaned,  "  I  don't  want 
to  live  any  longer  !  " 

Then  followed  a  few  moments  of  intense  and 
silent  suffering,  such  as  humanity  can  bear  and  still 
live.  God  makes  us  so.  And  then  the  sound  of 
children's  voices,  high-toned  and  full  of  musical 
trills,  echoed  through  the  woods. 

Esther  belonged  to  a  race  of  strong-nerved  men 
and  women,  and  the  habit  of  self-control  and  self- 
repression  was  as  forceful  within  her  as  life  itself. 
To  conceal  her  pain — this  was  her  first  thought. 
She  was  not  formally  "  engaged  "  to  Don  Stanley, 
hence,  according  to  Gilead's  social  laws,  had  no 
right  to  "  mourn."  The  fear  of  curious  question- 
ings, the  dread  of  the  children's  keen  eyes  even, 
touched  her  pride,  and  by  the  time  they  discovered 
her  she  stood  pale  and  quiet  under  the  tree. 

"  O,  teacher,  can't  we  trim  up  before  school  ? 
It's  goin'  to  be  awful  hot  to-day,  so  me  and  Flora 


220  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

got  these  to  fill  the  winders  with,"  panted  Irene 
Wells  as  she  hurried  down  the  hill  laden  with  clean, 
cool  branches  of  maple  and  birch. 

"And  I've  got  evergreen  for  your  desk  and  the 
stove,"  added  Jasmine,  whose  love  for  pretty  things 
led  to  all  sorts  of  devices  in  decorating  the  bare 
walls  and  rusty  stove. 

She  linked  her  arm  into  Esther's,  whispering  : 
"  You  look  pale  this  mornin',  teacher.  Wont 
you  let  me  hear  the  baby  classes  for  you  ?  " 
"Yes,  dear;  my — my  head  aches,  I  believe." 
Her  voice  sounded  far  away  and  strange  to  her- 
self, but  Jasmine  did  not  notice  as  she  talked  on  in 
a  womanly  fashion,  still  giving  the  welcome  sup- 
port of  her  arm.  As  they  approached  the  school- 
house  a  cry  of  distress  was  heard,  and  Esther  soon 
found  that  Adna  and  Alta,  forgotten  and  neglected, 
had  fallen  into  the  brook,  from  which  Bub  had  just 
rescued  them.  They  were  crying  in  unison,  and,  for 
the  first  time,  Esther  made  no  effort  to  check  them. 
As  she  wiped  their  hands  and  faces  and  sent  them 
home  in  Bub's  charge  she  was  grateful  for  the  diver- 
sion which  gave  her  a  chance  to  creep  into  the  cool, 
empty  school-room  while  the  children  were  examin- 
ing the  brook  critically  and  discussing  how  the  twins 
fell  in.  And  she  still  waited,  bending  over  a  copy- 
book with  dry  pen  in  hand,  while  the  curtainless  win- 
dows were  being  filled  with  fragrant  branches;  then, 
like  a  wounded  officer  who  would  not  "  fall  back," 
she  began  her  monotonous  round  of  duties. 

"Teacher!  teacher!"  It  was  little  Josephine 
whose  hand  was  raised.  "  Can't  we  sing  the  com- 
ing-home song  which  I  like  so  well  ?  " 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  221 

"  She  means  '  When  Johnnie  comes  marchin' 
home  again.'  We  all  want  it,"  seconded  her  seat- 
mate. 

"  Children,"  said  Esther,  after  a  little,  "  will  you 
be  willing  to  give  up  singing  that  this  morning? 
Let  us  take  '  We  thank  thee,  Lord,  for  morning 
light.'  " 

That  was  the  hardest  test  of  the  day,  for  the 
children  could  sing  the  song  grandly  and  it  had  al- 
ways been  an  inspiration,  but  now !  Could  she  ever 
sing  it  again  ?  It  was  some  time  before  she  remem- 
bered that  she  was  not  alone  in  this  new  sorrow  ; 
but,  as  Byron  Smith  came  to  her  with  one  of  his 
profound  questions  she  suddenly  thought,  "  Why, 
your  home  is  under  the  shadow  too!  "  Yes,  and 
more  than  one  or  two  would  be  found  among  those 
who  mourned  ;  but  she  resolved  to  keep  them 
through  one  more  day  in  ignorance  of  it,  if  possible. 

It  was  nearly  noon  when  Hiel  rode  up  to  Mr. 
Steele's  door  and,  without  dismounting,  rapped 
with  his  whip-stock  to  attract  attention.  Miss 
Hancock,  who  had  been  sent  home  from  Washing- 
ton several  weeks  before,  worn  out  with  hospital 
service,  was  visiting  there,  and  was  relating  some  of 
her  experiences  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Steele  when  they 
heard  the  summons. 

"  Somebody  wants  me,  I'm  almost  sure,"  said  Miss 
Hancock,  as  the  two  women  hastened  to  the  door. 

"  You've  heard  about  the  fight  down  to  Cold 
Harbor,  I  s'pose?"  began  Hiel. 

"  No  ;  our  boys  went  up  to  the  hill  farm  early 
this  morning.  Do  tell  us  what's  happened,"  said 
Mrs.  Steele. 


222  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

So  he  told  his  pitiful  story  again,  only  interrupted 
by  the  sympathetic  ejaculations  of  his  hearers. 

"  All  the  partic'lars  haint  come  yet,"  said  Hiel, 
but  it  looks  's  if  they'd  had  a  desp'rate  fight,  with 
thousands  killed  ;  and  amongst  'em  a  good  many 
Vermonters.  It  beats  all  what  lots  of  our  boys 
has  gone.  Doctor  Adams  read  the  list,  and  it  was 
dretful  to  hear.  Mis'  Follinsbee,  she  stood  there 
in  the  crowd,  and  when  she  heard  Hi's  name  she 
gin  one  cry  and  sunk  right  down  on  the  floor.  I  was 
close  by,  'nd  helped  carry  her  home.  I  never  c'n 
stan'  round  'n'  not  help  when  any  body's  in  trouble;" 
and  Hiel  looked  around  half  fiercely,  as  though 
some  one  had  questioned  the  propriety  of  his  ac- 
tion. 

"Of  course  not,  but  what  became  of  her?  Who 
took  care  of  her?"  asked  Miss  Hancock. 

"  Wal,  we  laid  her  on  the  bed,  and  the  children 
begun  to  cry,  and  we  gin  her  some  water,  and  by 
'n'  by  she  come  to,  and  then  I  sent  over  some  of 
the  women.  I  tell  you,  Miss  Hancock,  this  war's 
dretful  hard  on  the  women.  I  don't  never  covet 
another  job  like  what  I've  done  this  morning— car- 
ryin'  sech  news  to  half  a  dozen  poor  creetur's. 
Squire  needn't  send  me  no  more.  I  don't  exactly 
worry  over  any  of  'em,  'less  'tis  Widder  Stanley. 
And  thet's  what  I  come  this  way  fur.  I  wish  't 
you  could  git  up  there,  Miss  Hancock.  Seems 
to  me  she'd  ought  to  have  some  woman  there  a 
spell." 

"  Why,  Hiel,  what  do  you  mean  ?  Tell  us  all 
about  it,"  said  Miss  Hancock,  anxiously. 

Hiel's  voice  was  husky,  and  he  had  to  clear  his 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  223 

throat  before  replying.  At  length,  with  his  face 
turned  quite  away  from  his  listeners,  he  began  : 

"  I  rode  up  there,  you  know,  'n'  rapped  easy,  fer 
I  could  hear  the  widder  singin'  somethin'  about  Je- 
rusalem. She  come  to  the  door,  'n'  says  she  in  her 
soft  way,  '  Is  it  Mr.  Saunders  ?  '  '  Yes'm,'  says  I, 
dreadin'  what  would  come  next  ;  but  there  come  a 
strange  look  into  her  eyes,  's  if  she  mistrusted  ;  'n' 
she  says,  '  Tell  me  the  very  worst.'  So  then  I  did. 
Wal,  she  put  her  hand  up  here  " — indicating  his  heart 
—  "kinder  quick,  'n'  says  she,  '  Are  you  sure?'  I 
says,  '  I'm  'fraid  I  be,  ma'am.  Can't  I  do  somethin' 
fer  ye  ?  '  But  she  said  '  No,'  'n'  thanked  me — actually 
thanked  me  fer  comin'  up.  Then  she  went  back  'n' 
shet  to  the  door.  But  someway  I  was  dretful  un- 
easy, feared  she  might  faint  away,  so  I  jes'  sidled 
round  to  the  winder,  and  looked  in  over  the  currant- 
bushes.  She  jus'  got  down  on  to  her  knees  'n'  be- 
gun to  pray;  that's  what  she  did.  Tell  you,  it  made 
me  feel  cur'ous.  Some  folks  seem  to  be  on  dretful 
good  terms  with  spirits  ;  but  I  never  see  any  body 
act  's  if  she  belonged  to  the  family  's  the  widder  did. 
You'd  thought  Jesus  Christ  was  right  close  by. 
Wal,  I  aint  no  hand  to  talk,  but  it  made  me  feel  's 
I  did  once  when  I  stayed  to  communion,  waitin'  fer 
squire's  wife.  I  couldn't  stan'  it,  so  I  got  away. 
But  it  kinder  worries  me.  Think  you'll  git  up  there, 
Miss  Hancock?  " 

Both  women  had  been  quietly  weeping  while 
Hiel  was  talking,  and  Mr.  Steele  was  nearly  as  much 
affected  as  he  sat  in  the  door-way. 

"  Yes,  I'll  go  up  right  away,  Hiel ;  the  walk  will  do 
me  good,"    said  she,  heartily.      "There's   hospital 


224  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

work  here  in  the  North,  I'm  thinking,  only  it  isn't 
the  poor  wounded  body  that  needs  help  after  a 
battle." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Hiel,  as  he  turned  his  horse  and 
rode  slowly  away. 

Two  hours  later  Miss  Hancock  was  walking 
slowly  toward  the  mountain,  above  which  ominous 
clouds  were  gathering,  with  mutterings  of  distant 
thunder.  It  was  quite  dark  as  she  reached  the  little 
cottage,  shaded  now  by  clouds  and  trees,  and  she 
was  glad  to  step  uninvited  into  the  little  entry. 
Pausing  a  moment  to  collect  her  thoughts,  she 
tapped  gently  upon  the  kitchen  door.  There  was  no 
response,  and  after  another  louder  knock  she  vent- 
ured to  open  it.  The  kitchen,  neat  and  orderly  as 
it  always  was,  seemed  to  be  empty,  but  fearing  to 
intrude  further  into  the  room  she  spoke :  "  Dear 
Mrs.  Stanley,  will  you  let  me  come  in  and  try  to 
comfort  you?  I  have  been  wanting  to  come  and 
tell  you  about  Donald,  ever  since  I  got  home." 
Still  there  was  no  reply,  and  as  the  storm  was 
rapidly  increasing  she  entered,  closing  the  door  and 
groping  her  way  to  a  chair. 

Thunder-storms  among  the  mountains  are  often 
terrible  in  their  violence,  and  this  one  seemed  to 
descend  with  a  peculiar  swiftness,  as  if  to  en- 
fold the  little  settlement.  The  room  grew  very 
dark,  save  when  it  was  illuminated  by  flashes 
of  lightning;  and  after  a  sudden  hush,  as  if  to 
draw  its  breath  for  greater  conflicts,  the  storm  burst 
with  torrents  of  rain.  The  trees  outside  swayed 
over  the  tiny  house  and  the  rain  dashed  spitefully 
against  the  windows,  while  the  wind  came  tramp- 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  225 

ling  through  the  woods  like  a  separate  force,  more 
of  earth  than  air.  Above  all  solemn  thunder-peals 
echoed  and  re-echoed. 

Miss  Hancock  was  not  greatly  disturbed  by  the 
tempest.  To  be  sure,  she  sat  with  tightly  clasped 
hands  listening  with  a  feeling  of  awe  to  the  "  war- 
ring of  the  elements,"  but  she  was  more  anxious 
about  her  poor  friend  and  her  own  duty. 

At  length  she  rose,  saying,  softly,  "  It  is  no  kind- 
ness for  me  to  sit  here,  for  if  she  ever  needed  a  friend 
she  needs  one  just  now."  Approaching  the  bed- 
room, she  found  the  door  ajar.  One  glance  within, 
and,  filled  with  vague  forebodings,  she  turned  back 
to  light  a  lamp,  with  which  she  entered  the  room. 
Don's  mother  was  lying  upon  the  bed,  her  white 
face  pressing  the  pillow  as  if  in  natural  sleep ; 
but  the  white  hand  which  Miss  Hancock  clasped 
was  cold  and  lifeless.  "  Beyond  the  storm  !  beyond 
the  storm  !  you  and  Don  together,  just  as  you  would 
have  had  it,"  she  murmured,  her  tears  dropping 
fast.  But  the  next  moment  she  rose  to  meet  this 
unexpected  emergency.  With  the  skill  gained  in 
hospital  experience  she  applied  such  restoratives  as 
could  be  found,  pausing  not  an  instant  until  con- 
vinced after  a  long-continued  effort  that  her  task 
was  hopeless.  "  O,  I  wish  Doctor  Snow  was  here  !" 
she  exclaimed,  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  her  iso- 
lation and  helplessness. 

But,  looking  at  the  quiet  form  before  her,  she 
knew  very  well  that  no  earthly  physician  could  do 
more  than  had  been  done.  Covering  it  gently,  she 
whispered,  "  What  time  I  am  afraid,  I  will  trust  in 
thee;"  and  thus  dividing  the  burden  that  seemed 
15 


226  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

heavy  she  sat  down  by  the  bedside  with  a  feeling 
of  sacred  companionship  and  waited  for  the  storm 
to  subside.  And  this  was  not  long  delayed.  The 
mutterings  of  thunder  were  now  distant  and  low, 
the  wind  crept  away  to  its  hiding-place,  and  with 
timid  thankfulness  shrubs  and  flowers  rose  from 
the  earth  and  stood  glistening  in  the  sun,  which  soon 
shone  as  brightly  as  ever.  This  surprised  and  radiant 
expression,  which  all  nature  wears  after  such  a 
tempest,  is  one  of  its  compensations  ;  and  the  paean 
of  praise  sung  by  wild  birds  over  their  deliverance 
is  another. 

Miss  Hancock  knew  when  the  storm  ceased,  knew 
that  the  sun  was  shining,  but  still  sat  thinking  and 
mourning  alone,  arousing  herself  at  length  only  in 
response  to  a  timid  rap  at  the  door. 

"  Why,  Esther,  is  it  you  ?  I  was  wishing  the  Lord 
would  send  one  of  his  servants,  for  my  strength  is 
almost  exhausted,"  she  exclaimed  as  she  admit- 
ted the  young  girl.  "  But,  dear  child,  you  look 
strange!  Esther — Esther  —  has  that  ball  struck 
your  heart  too?     Wait  a  moment — " 

"  O,  Miss  Hancock,  I've  been  waiting  all  day. 
Let  me  see  Mrs.  Stanley,"  pleaded  Esther,  losing 
her  self-control  at  last  and  yielding  to  the  kind 
arms  which  enfolded  her  with  a  "  Poor  child  !  poor 
child !  " 

Drawing  her  to  a  seat,  Miss  Hancock  waited  until 
the  first  bitter  but  blessed  tears  had  brought  relief, 
and  she  again  whispered  : 

"Where  is  Don's  mother?  I  know  she  wants 
me." 

Then  she  softly  replied,  "Yes,  you  shall  see  her; 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  227 

but — can  you  bear  to  know  that  she  has  gone — to 
meet  her  soldier-boy?" 

A  moment  later  Esther  looked  upon  the  patient, 
peaceful  face,  and  knelt  by  the  bedside.  Into  her 
bewilderment  and  grief  a  strange  exalted  sense  of 
divine  interposition  had  entered.  She  had  looked 
forward  all  day  to  this  meeting  with  Don's  mother, 
for  they  two  understood  each  other,  and  they  would 
lock  the  door  and  weep  together !  This  had  been 
her  thought ;  but  Someone  had  come  with  a  mes- 
sage, and,  instead  of  waiting  to  mourn  with  her  she 
had  gone  on  to  rejoice  with  him.  But  would  they 
not  remember  her,  left  so  lonely  and  desolate? 
Esther  had  a  very  simple  faith.  She  could  not  have 
explained  the  holy  influences  which  met  her  as  she 
knelt  so  long  in  the  silence  of  that  little  room — in- 
fluences which  lingered  with  her  always  ;  but  when 
she  read  from  the  word,  "  And  there  appeared  an 
angel  unto  him  from  heaven,  strengtheninghim"  she 
felt  sure  that  she  knew — just  a  little — of  what  it 
meant. 

In  the  midst  of  its  wide-spread  sorrow  Gilead 
paused  to  "  do  its  duty  "  by  her  who  had  lived 
among  them  like  a  stranger.  There  were  some  who 
would  have  found  a  certain  enjoyment  in  entering 
the  house  and  examining  all  that  was  in  it ;  in 
whispering  and  "guessing"  around  her  helpless 
form  ;  in  seeking  to  rind  in  box  or  drawer  or  desk 
some  clew  to  her  former  life  and  position.  But  Miss 
Hancock  was  there,  and  curiosity  itself  had  a  whole- 
some respect  for  her  rights  as  friend  and  supervisor. 
The  strong  maiden  lady  who  had  stayed  with  Mrs. 
Stanley    every    night    since    Don's  departure  took 


228  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

charge  of  the  necessary  preparations,  and  Miss  Han- 
cock and  Esther  alone  examined  such  effects  as 
were  left  in  the  cottage.  They  found  finely  em- 
broidered clothing  for  the  shrouding,  so  rarely  fine 
that  Miss  Hancock  but  expressed  the  thoughts  of 
both  when  she  said  : 

"  Our  friend  has  known,  sometime,  what  it  was  to 
have  the  best  that  money  could  buy." 

They  also  found  a  large  package  of  Don's  letters, 
marked,  "To  be  burned  in  case  of  death,"  and  in  an 
envelope  money  more  than  sufficient  to  meet  all 
expenses.  But  beyond  these  and  the  limited  ward- 
robe, furniture,  and  books,  nothing  remained. 

"  It  seems  as  if  she  was  all  ready  for  the  journey," 
they  said. 

And  the  people  came  reverently  in  their  Sunday 
clothes  to  the  funeral.  Indeed,  there  is  nothing 
like  a  funeral  to  touch  and  unite  the  hearts  of 
country  dwellers.  They  were  now  ashamed  to  re- 
member their  cold,  unfounded  criticisms  and  harsh 
judgments,  and  tried  to  atone  by  speaking  gracious 
words  of  their  "departed  sister"  and  calling  to 
memory  her  unfailing  kindness.  Heaven  forgives 
much,  and  probably  this  last  bungling  attempt  to 
"  do  as  they  would  be  done  by  "  was  placed  to  their 
credit.  But  we  know  there  were  genuine  mourn- 
ers there  who  never  could  forget.  And  others, 
wearing  the  crape  which  told  of  their  own  slain, 
came — it  seemed  the  right  thing  to  do  in  those 
days — some  of  them  almost  envying  her  whose 
hands  were  so  serenely  folded  for  the  last  sleep. 

But  Gilead  had  not  yet  paid  her  full  share  of  the 
"  national  debt."     Beautiful  June  had  not  numbered 


TWO  LIVES  FOR  ONE.  229 

her  days  before  the  town  was  thrilled  with  news  of 
another  calamity.  Some  Union  troops  set  to  guard 
a  railroad,  most  of  them  Vermonters,  were  attacked  ; 
some  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  four  hundred 
were  taken  prisoners ! 

Joe  Armstrong's  name  headed  the  first  list,  brave 
Captain  Bartlett,  John  Henry  Hickey,  and  Vic's 
brother  Chester  were  among  the  prisoners,  while 
David  Douglas  and  others  of  the  Guards  were 
wounded. 

"  Some  things  are  worthless,  some  others  so  good 
That  nations  who  buy  them  pay  only  in  blood, 
For  Freedom  and  Union  each  man  owes  his  part, 
And  here  I  pay  my  share,  all  warm  from  my  heart." 

— Standard  (Gilead,  Vt.),  of  July,  1864. 


230  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"YOUR  VEGETABLES  OR  YOUR  LIFE!" 

"  1  ADIES,  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  It  was  a  reg- 
J — *  ular  meeting  of  the  "Soldiers'  Aid,"  and 
every  woman  was  at  work — some  sewing,  some 
scraping  lint,  some  rolling  bandages ;  but  they  all 
paused  and  looked  toward  Mrs.  Plumley  with  per- 
plexed faces.  But  they  had  no  answer  to  the  new 
appeal  she  had  spoken  of,  nor  the  question  which 
followed  it. 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  well  to  have  the  secretary  read 
Mrs.  Davenport's  letter?  Perhaps  all  the  ladies 
haven't  seen  it,"  suggested  Miss  Hancock. 

Mrs.  Adams  came  forward,  and,  taking  the  letter 
from  the  president's  hands,  read  as  follows :  " '  I 
presume  you  have  heard  before  this  of  the  condition 
of  our  army  from  the  presence  of  scurvy  among  the 
men.  Since  the  trying  campaign  opened  they  have 
subsisted  for  many  successive  days  on  the  rations  of 
the  haversack  alone.  We  must  have  a  supply  of 
vegetables,  says  one  of  our  major-generals,  or  the 
results  will  be  disastrous;  and  Grant's  forces  cannot 
and  must  not  meet  such  an  enemy  in  their  own 
ranks.  We  must  therefore  canvass  every  neighbor- 
hood, and  gather  together  every  peck  and  half-peck 
of  any  of  these  vegetables  that  families  have  left, 
for  there  is  nothing  of  the  kind  in  market  to  depend 


"YOUR   VEGETABLES  OR   YOUR  LIFE /"        231 

upon.  Cannot  ladies  canvass  the  towns  in  your 
county  without  delay,  to  procure  whatever  can  be 
found  of  an  anti-scorbutic  nature — potatoes,  onions, 
pickles  of  all  kinds,  prepared  cabbage,  etc.  If  even 
one  barrel  can  be  sent  from  every  town  it  is  worth 
a  hundred  times  the  trouble  and  cash  value  of  the 
article.' " 

Mrs.  Rollins  turned  her  pale,  severe  face  toward 
the  table.  "Can  we  stan'  many  more  such  calls? 
Does  any  body  know  when  there'll  be  an  end  of 
'em  ?  "  she  inquired. 

"  Nobody  knows,"  replied   Mrs.    Plumley,  sadly. 

"  Perhaps  this  will  show  us  that  we  can't  stop  yet ; " 
and  Mrs.  Adams  took  up  a  paper  and  read  :  "  '  Pres- 
ident Lincoln  has  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for 
five  hundred  thousand  volunteers,  to  be  raised  by 
the  fifth  of  September,  or  drafted  immediately  aft- 
erward.' " 

A  low  exclamation  of  surprise  and  pain  ran 
around  the  room. 

Miss  Hancock  looked  anxious.  "  That  only 
means,"  said  she,  slowly  and  impressively,  "  that 
Lincoln  means  to  bring  the  struggle  to  an  end. 
And  there  isn't  one  here  who  isn't  willing  to 
work  to  the  last  moment  for  our  brave  boys. 
We've  suffered  too  much  and  too  long  to  shirk  any 
thing  that's  necessary  to  be  done." 

"  Yes  ;  we  must  work  till  our  boys  're  all  dead  or  in 
Libby  Prison,"  said  Mrs.  Rollins. 

"  Sister  Rollins,  your  boy  and  mine  never 
grudged  what  they  gave  to  their  country,  and  we 
mustn't,"  said  Mrs.  Douglas,  laying  her  firm,  steady 
hand    upon  her  impatient,   heart-broken  neighbor. 


232  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  My  David  writes  from  the  hospital,  '  Don't  fret 
about  me,  mother  ;  I'm  no  better  than  thousands  of 
the  boys  who  were  killed,  and  none  of  us  're  too 
good  to  die  for  our  country.'  " 

"I'm  sure  we're  all  ready  to  do  what's  pos- 
sible," said  Mrs.  Fletcher.  "  The  question  in  my 
mind  is,  Can  we  get  these  vegetables?  We  women 
wouldn't  hesitate  a  minute,  but  perhaps  the  men 
wont  see  it  as  we  do." 

"  And  are  they  to  be  found  any  way,  for  love  or 
money?  "  inquired  Mrs.  Akers. 

"There's  enough!"  and  Martha  Thompson  bit 
off  her  thread  with  a  snap.  "  There's  men  in  this 
town  jus'  mean  enough  to  hold  and  withhold  to 
make  money.  There's  potatoes  and  turnips  and 
onions  in  many  a  sullar.  Next  thing  is  to  get  'em 
out." 

"  Your  vegetables  or  your  life ! — we  must  make 
that  our  motto,"   said   Mrs.  Adams. 

"  Gilead  has  shown  its  loyalty,  as  we  know  very 
well,  but  if  our  brethren  are  suffering  a  relapse 
we  women  must  wake  them  up.  Perhaps  that's  a 
part  of  our  mission,"  suggested  Mrs.  Plumley. 

"  That  reminds  me  of  something  I  found  in  a  New 
York  paper.  I  cut  it  out  and  put  it  in  my  pocket  for 
your  benefit,"  and  drawing  her  chair  to  the  center 
of  the  group  Miss  Hancock  read:  "'  A  gentleman 
on  a  train  near  New  York  city  the  other  day,  speak- 
to  a  friend  across  the  car,  said,  "  Well,  I  hope  the 
war  will  last  six  months  longer ;  if  it  does  I  shall 
have  made  enough  to  retire  from  business.  In  the 
last  six  months  I've  made  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars.    Six  months  more  and  I  shall  have  enough." 


"YOUR   VEGETABLES  OR  YOUR  LIFE!"         233 

A  lady  sat  behind  the  speaker  and  heard  his  re- 
marks. When  done  she  tapped  him  on  the  shoul- 
der, and  said,  "  Sir,  I  had  two  sons.  One  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  the  other  at  the 
battle  of  Murfreesboro."  She  was  silent  a  moment ; 
so  were  all  around.  Then,  overcome  by  her  indig- 
nation, she  suddenly  slapped  the  speculator,  first  on 
one  cheek,  then  on  the  other,  and  before  the  fel- 
low could  say  a  word  the  passengers  sitting  near, 
who  had  witnessed  the  whole  affair,  seized  him  and 
pushed  him  out  of  the  car,  as  one  not  fit  to  ride 
with  decent  people.'  " 

"  Good  !  "  said  Martha  Thompson  ;  "  that's  good 
enough  to  frame.'  " 

"  We  don't  expect  to  have  to  deal  like  that  with 
any  of  our  brethren  who  may  be  a  little — little 
stubborn,"  continued  Miss  Hancock,  "  but  that's 
the  spirit  we  need.  We've  got  to  feel  that  money 
is  nothing  along-side  of  life  and  liberty.  It's  the 
good  old  Revolutionary  spirit  that  kept  our  ances- 
tors from  drinking  tea  when  they  wanted  it.  We've 
got  to  tell  our  men-folks  that  we  must  have  these 
vegetables,  money  or  no  money.  They  wont  have 
scurvy  if  they  go  without  potatoes  a  few  weeks. 
Now,  I'm  not  very  strong  yet,  but  I'm  willing  to  go 
to  the  men  you  think  will  be  hardest  to  deal  with. 
I'll  take  a  big  wagon  and  some  boys  and  baskets 
and  start  to-morrow  morning.  And  I  move,  Mrs. 
President,  that  committees  be  appointed  to  canvass 
the  whole  town  as  soon  as  possible." 

Every  woman  was  soon  pledged  to  do  her  share 
of  the  work,  even  Mrs.  Rollins,  who  had  no  idea  of 
standing  alone.     She  even  emphasized  her  position 


234  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

by  declaring,  "  Not  another  potater  nor  pickle 
passes  my  lips  till  new  ones  come  in." 

"  Every  potato  saved  is  a  potato  earned.  Let  us 
show  our  faith  by  our  works,"  said  Miss  Hancock. 

The  loyal  Gileadites  of  our  story  were  still  loyal 
as  a  whole,  but  these  days  of  '64  were  very  trying. 
Every  body  but  speculators  was  weary  of  the  war. 
The  country  was  about  to  face  another  presidential 
election,  and  as  the  struggle  drew  near  parties  and 
factions  drew  farther  away  from  each  other.  The 
disaffected,  the  grumblers,  and  the  discouraged 
were  approached  by  such  men  as  were  avowed  cop- 
perheads, and  beset  with  the  political  arguments  of 
that  era. 

The  rebellion  could  not  be  crushed  ;  the  Northern 
army  had  no  efficient  officers  ;  France  was  about  to 
declare  war  against  the  United  States;  greenbacks 
were  sure  to  become  worthless  ;  these  and  similar 
opinions  were  scattered  as  widely  as  possible  by 
such  newspapers  as  were  accused  of  being  bribed 
by  Southern  supporters.  McClellan,  beloved  by 
so  many  soldiers,  was  Lincoln's  rival  in  the  contest. 
It  was  not  strange  that  many  honest  but  unfortified 
judgments  were  bewildered  by  a  comparatively 
few  leaders,  who,  according  to  the  stanch,  out- 
spoken Standard,  were  "  ready  to  perform  the  office 
of  national  assassin,  and  plant  the  stiletto  deep  in 
the  vitals  of  the  Goddess  of  Liberty !  "  So  much 
for  a  few  of  the  "  predominating  causes  "  which  in 
this  case  threatened  to  mix  politics  and  potatoes  ! 

But  the  women  were  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and, 
in  spite  of  "  haying,"  secured  teams,  boys,  and 
baskets  quite  sufficient  for  their  purpose.     Indeed, 


"YOUR  VEGETABLES  OR  YOUR  LIFE!"        235 

there  was  a  surplus  of  boys,  if  any  thing ;  for  the  lit- 
tle fellows  were  strangely  impressed  that  it  would 
be  "  fun  alive  "  to  help  fill  those  barrels. 

Among  the  names  given  Miss  Hancock  were 
those  of  Mr.  Slocum,  Mr.  Green,  and  a  well-to-do 
old  bachelor  named  Dunlap,  who,  with  two  spinster 
sisters,  lived  on  a  large  and  valuable  hill  farm. 
Our  acquaintance  with  the  gentlemen  first  named 
makes  it  unnecessary  to  state  that  they  were  "  hard 
cases,"  but  even  they  yielded  at  length  to  our 
friend's  eloquence. 

"  Wouldn't  give  a  pertater  to  any  body  but  you," 
persisted  Mr.  Slocum.  "  But 's  I  tell  my  wife  you've 
been  down  there  to  nuss,  'nd  I  cal'late  we'll  need  such 
sarvice  some  day.  We're  all  more  or  less  likely  to 
get  sick.     Don't  ye  see  we  be ? " 

In  the  afternoon  she  seated  herself  in  Mr.  Fletch- 
er's "  mill  wagon,"  with  several  baskets  around  her, 
and  two  boys,  Johnnie  Clark  and  Baxter  Bartlett, 
on  the  front  seat  to  drive  the  old  gray  horse. 
Having  called  upon  two  or  three  rather  inaccessible 
women,  from  whom  she  received  a  supply  of  pickles, 
she  told  the  boys  to  drive  on  to  Mr.  Dunlap's. 

"  'Spect  to  get  any  thin'  there  ?  "  asked  Johnnie. 

"  Certainly !"  was  the  undaunted  reply;  where- 
upon the  two  boys  exchanged  skeptical  glances. 

Mr.  Dunlap  had  in  some  way  learned  that  the 
women  were  "  taking  the  town,"  and  as  rapidly  as 
possible  he  was  "  sorting  over,"  as  he  called  it,  his 
potatoes,  of  which  he  had  a  fine  supply.  Into  one 
barrel  he  threw  the  small  and  imperfect  ones,  while 
into  several  others  he  tossed  the  large  ones  which 
he  intended  to  hide  from  all  prying  feminine  eyes. 


236  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

While  he  was  still  sweating  over  his  task  in  the 
security  of  the  cellar  he  heard  a  light  footstep  on 
the  stairs,  and  looked  up  to  meet  Miss  Hancock's 
smiling  countenance. 

"Well  done,  Mr.  Dunlap  ;  your  sister  told  me  I 
would  find  you  here.  These  are  beauties  !  "  and  she 
took  up  the  big,  white  specimens  from  the  barrel. 
"  The  very  best  potatoes  I've  seen  to-day.  And  it 
isn't  every  man  that  takes  the  pains  to  pick  out  all 
the  little  ones.  Come,  boys,  bring  down  your 
baskets." 

"I — I — didn't  mean — a  man  must  look  out  for 
his  own  first,"  stammered  the  perspiring  bachelor. 

"  Yes,  our  own  poor  boys !  how  often  I  think  of 
them,  sick  and  wounded  on  battle-fields  and  in  hos- 
pitals. I  don't  wonder  you  feel  that  nothing  is  too 
good  for  them.  If  ever  we  ought  to  live  on  hasty 
pudding  and  milk  it  is  just  now  while  they  are  suf- 
fering for  vegetables.  You'll  have  a  sweet  reward 
for  this,  Mr.  Dunlap.  Here,  boys  !  "  and,  with  her 
back  turned  toward  the  small  potatoes,  Miss  Han- 
cock waved  them  toward  the  other  barrels,  and  Mr. 
Dunlap,  rubbing  his  soiled  hands  upon  his  over- 
alls, actually  helped  the  little  fellows,  until  four 
bushel  baskets  were  full  to  the  brim.  Johnnie  and 
Baxter  opened  their  eyes  very  wide  as  they  de- 
posited them  in  the  wagon,  but  said  nothing. 
Miss  Hancock  thanked  the  bewildered  and  some- 
what exasperated  donor,  assured  him  of  a  "  blessed  re- 
ward," and  was  soon  driving  on  toward  a  big  yellow 
house  with  a  small  colony  of  barns,  which  crowned 
the  next  hill.  As  the  old  horse  slowly  jogged  along 
the  quiet  road  Johnny  turned  around  and  drawled  : 


"YOUR  VEGETABLES  OR  YOUR  LIFE!"  237 

"  Miss  Hancock — I — don't — b'lieve — Ben  Dun- 
lap  ever  meant  them  p'taters  for  us." 

"  No,  dear ;  not  for  us.  They  are  for  the  poor 
suffering  soldiers,"  said  she. 

The  shrewd  little  Yankee,  who  knew  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  old  bachelor  very  well,  looked  toward 
Baxter  with  a  knowing  smile,  and  asked  him  in  a 
low  tone  if  he  could  "  see  through  a  hole  in  the 
wall  with  his  eyes  shut." 

The  town  was  quite  thoroughly  canvassed  before 
night,  and  as  a  result  nine  barrels  of  vegetables  of 
various  kinds,  with  several  jars  of  pickles,  were 
shipped  the  following  day. 

The  necessity  for  exertion  and  these  extra  calls 
for  supplies  were  a  blessing  beyond  measure  to 
those  who  had  been  so  sorely  bereaved.  Some  had 
farms  and  families  to  care  for,  while  others  were 
able  to  devote  themselves  almost  wholly  to  the 
soldiers. 

Poor  Vic,  who  was  nearly  frantic  in  her  grief  over 
Joe's  death,  clung  to  Esther  and  refused  to  be  com- 
forted. She  had  lived  the  last  year— a  year  of  won- 
derful transformation — on  the  hope  of  his  return ; 
for  her  richest  reward  was  to  be  his  pleasure  in 
what  she  had  done.  "  It  wouldn't  seem  so  hard, 
Esther,"  she  moaned,  "  if  he  could  have  just  come 
home  to  see  what  we  have  done,  and  if  he  could 
know  how  sorry  I  am  for  the  way  I  used  to  do 
things.     O,  my  poor  Joe  !  " 

"  No,  Vic ;  not  poor  Joe,  for  he's  better  off;  you 
know  that.  What  if  he  had  been  shot  before  he 
became  a  Christian,  and  before  you  were  one  ?  Just 
think,  Vic,  how  much  you  have  to  be  thankful  for," 


238  THE  GILEAD  GUAFDS. 

Esther  said,  forcing  her  own  blighted  hopes  into 
the  background  in  her  new  character  of  comforter. 

"  O,  I  know  it,  but  I  don't  feel  it.  I  pray  with 
my  lips,  but  in  my  heart  I  almost  hate  God  for  taking 
Joe.  He  could  have  saved  him  so  easy,  and  he 
was  worth  saving." 

Vic  was  leaning  back  in  her  large  rocker,  and  the 
face  which  lay  against  the  "  finished  tidy  "  was  thin- 
ner and  paler  than  when  we  saw  it  last.  That  day 
had  revived  her  agony  by  bringing  back  to  her  the 
last  letter  she  sent  her  husband.  A  comrade  had 
sent  it,  writing  her  that  it  had  been  the  only  clew  to 
his  identification.  It  had  been  in  his  breast  pocket, 
and  was  deeply  stained  with  blood  from  the  fatal 
wound. 

"  Perhaps  you  ought  to  be  thankful  he  was  shot 
instead  of  being  taken  prisoner,"  said  Esther,  dream- 
ily. "  They  are  suffering  such  tortures  at  Libby 
and  Andersonville.  The  paper  says  that  more  than 
a  hundred  are  buried  every  day  at  Andersonville. 
Mother  thinks  Austin  is  there,  it  is  so  long  since  we 
heard  from  him ;  father  thinks  he's  dead.  It's 
dreadful  not  to  know." 

"  Poor  Chester  is  somewhere  in  one  of  these 
horrid  places  if  he  is  alive,"  said  Vic.  "  I  ought 
not  to  forget  him.  Isn't  it  strange  that  we  can  be 
so  full  of  trouble  that  we  can't  think  of  things.  I 
don't  know  what  baby  would  have  done  those  first 
few  days  if  Frank  hadn't  taken  care  of  her — and  he 
feeling  as  bad  as  he  could  over  Joe  and  Chester,  too. 
It  didn't  seem  as  if  I  could  do  anything;  but  I 
must — I  must  for  baby's  sake." 

"  Don't  you  think  we   could   help   get   something 


"YOUR  VEGETABLES  OR  YOUR  LIFE!"        239 

ready  for  the  wounded  soldiers?"  suggested 
Esther.  "You  know  you'll  have  lots  of  blackber- 
ries up  in  your  pasture,  and  blackberry  cordial  is  one 
of  the  things  they  want.  Mrs.  Plumley  has  the  rule 
for  making  it.  I'll  help  pick  them  after  school 
every  afternoon,  and  I'm  sure  we  can  do  the  rest, 
working  together." 

"  Well,  perhaps,"  said  Vic,  wearily.  "I'm  going 
to  try  not  to  be  selfish." 

And  the  weak,  helpless  men  who  received  that 
cordial,  spoonful  by  spoonful,  never  knew  it  was 
made  by  two  heroic  women  in  the  backwoods  of 
Vermont,  who,  in  an  effort  to  benefit  them,  had 
themselves  received  more  than  they  gave. 


240  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

HIEL'S     EXPERIENCE. 

PERHAPS  the  kindly  side  of  New  England 
character  was  never  shown  more  clearly  than 
in  the  case  of  soldiers'  families.  Especially  were 
the  widows  and  orphans  of  those  slain  in  battle  ac- 
cepted as  a  sort  of  sacred  legacy  by  the  general 
public.  The  war  debt  might  be  discussed  in  the 
post-office,  and  political  feeling  run  high  ;  but  as  the 
nine  o'clock  bell  rang,  and  men  filed  away  to  their 
homes,  they  did  not  forget  to  take  mail  or  groceries 
to  some  lonely  woman. 

Abram  was  still  active  in  this  department,  start- 
ing many  a  little  wave  of  interest  in  behalf  of  the 
needy  which  was  never  traced  back  to  him.  Hiel 
Saunders,  too,  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  home- 
guard,  and  so  developed  by  the  services  of  his 
benevolence  as  to  bring  upon  him  Martha  Thomp- 
son's criticism,  who  declared  that  "  Hiel  wasgettin' 
rather  soft,"  which  term  in  Gilead  was  not  alto- 
gether complimentary.  Perhaps  Martha  ventured 
that  remark  after  she  noticed  his  interest  in  Mrs. 
Follinsbee's  welfare.  This  poor  little  widow,  with 
her  three  fatherless  children,  had  seemed  to  have  a 
special  claim  upon  Hiel  after  the  night  she  heard 
of  her  husband's  death.  He  had  taken  her  many  an 
opportune  gift,  and  succeeded  in  chopping  her  fire- 


HI  EL'S  EXPERIENCE.  241 

wood  by  doing  it  very  secretly  sometime  between 
sunset  and  sunrise.  She  had  been  alarmed  to  find 
a  fresh  supply,  and  told  some  neighbors  she  could 
not  explain  it,  "unless  Hiram  had  come  back;" 
hearing  which,  Hiel  remarked,  somewhat  tartly,  that 
it  was  "  a  good,  sensible  thing  for  a  ghost  to  du, 
but  as  Hiram  wasn't  no  great  hand  to  saw  wood 
while  he  was  here,  seems  's  if  he  wouldn't  be  apt  to 
du  it  now."  Mrs.  Follinsbee  had  read  to  him  the 
last  letters  she  received  from  her  husband,  and  was 
humbly  grateful  for  his  sympathetic  interest ;  but 
meanwhile  he  had  become  more  interested  in  her 
than  in  the  letters.  His  knowledge  of  the  demands 
of  custom  was  Very  limited  ;  hence,  without  consult- 
ing any  book  of  etiquette,  he  resolved  to  win  her 
regard  as  soort  as  possible  by  a  judicious  and  gener- 
ous oversight  of  her  interests.  Acting  upon  this 
resolution  he  selected  a  variety  of  vegetables  one 
day  in  early  September,  packed  them  in  a  large 
basket,  adding  a  sprinkling  of  pink-cheeked  harvest 
apples,  and  took  them  to  her  gate  on  his  way  to 
mill  with  the  squire's  grist.  Tommy  and  Alice 
and  little  Hiram  came  running  toward  him,  looking 
with  curious  eyes  upon  these  prospective  riches. 

"O,  ma!  come  see  what's  been  brung,"  cried 
Tommy ;  and  seizing  her  dress  he  dragged  her  to 
the  door.  "  Now  we  can  have  somethin'  but 
'tatoes." 

"  Well,  you've  robbed  yourself,  I  know,  Mr. 
Saunders,"  said  Mrs.  Follinsbee,  her  face  reddening 
with  pleasure.  "You  really  shouldn't  bring  me  so 
much." 

"I  didn't  know   but  what   they  might  come  ac- 
16 


242  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

ceptable,  seein'  ye  have  so  many  mouths  to  feed," 
he  replied,  removing  his  big  straw  hat. 

"  O,  yes !  "  and  there  was  a  little  catch  in  her 
voice,  just  a  hint  of  the  need  that  made  them  more 
than  "  acceptable  ;  "  "  but  I  don't  like  to  have  folks 
put  themselves  out  for  me." 

"No  put  out  at  all,  Mis'  Follinsbee ;  I've  got 
more  sass  than  I  know  what  to  du  with.  My  little 
farm  yields  like  all  possessed — makes  me  feel  's  if  I 
must  put  up  a  house  'n'  have  sullar  room  for  it  ; " 
and  Hiel  leaned  against  the  rude  railing  which  kept 
the  children  from  falling,  with  his  eyes  fixed  upon 
the  basket. 

"Why  don't  you,  then  ?  "  asked  the  widow,  inno- 
cently. 

Hiel's  heart  began  to  beat  tumultuously,  but  he 
recognized  his  opportunity. 

"  I  will,  if  you'll  come  'n'  live  in  it  ;  "  and  then 
with  increasing  courage  he  went  on  :  "  I  thought 
I'd  just  let  ye  know  how  I  feel  about  it,  fer  I  can't 
bear  tu  see  ye  sort  of  strugglin'  with  adverse  fate,  so 
to  speak;  and  if  you  agree  I'll  make  things  real 
easy.  I'll  build  a  house  with  a  bay  winder  'n'  a 
piazza;  'n'  if  you  want  posies  out  in  front,  why, 
have  'cm !  I  don't  care ;  "  and  Hiel  ventured  a 
glance  at  the  blushing  face  in  the  door-way,  feeling 
that  he  had  made  a  good,  generous  offer  which  no 
woman  could  refuse. 

But  to  his  surprise  she  began  to  cry,  saying,  be- 
tween her  sobs,  "  O,  I  can't,  I  can't !  It's  temptin' 
— nobody  knows  how  hard  'tis  for  a  woman  to  get 
along  when  she  hasn't  any  thing  to  do  with — and  I 
like  you  real  well  ;  but  I  can't   marry  a   man  that's 


Ill  EL'S  EXPERIENCE.  243 

an  unbeliever ;  no,  no  ;  I  cannot !  "  and  then  the 
little  woman  sought  her  rocking-chair  just  inside  the 
door  and  strove  to  put  away  the  temptation.  But 
the  tempter  followed  her. 

"  O,  sho,  now  !  "  ejaculated  Hiel,  distressed  be- 
yond measure.  "  I  ain't  no  unbeliever.  Ever  hear 
o'  my  lyin',  stealin',  or  killin'  any  body?" 

"  No,  no  !  not  that ;  but  you  don't  go  to  meetin', 
and  I'm  afraid  you  don't  believe  the  Bible.  I  want 
to  bring  up  the  children  to  be  good." 

Hiel  suddenly  felt  the  weight  of  a  crushing  re- 
sponsibility, and  looked  at  innocent  little  Tommy 
and  Alice,  now  serenely  munching  apples,  as  though 
he  saw  them  for  the  first  time.  Very  humbly  he 
said,  "  May  be  I  could  jine  the  church,  you  know." 

Mrs.  Follinsbee  raised  her  flushed  face  with  a 
startled  look.  "  O,  Hiel!  I  don't  want  you  to  join 
the  church  until  you're  converted.  That  wouldn't 
m  ike  any  difference.  If  you  was  a  Christian  I'd 
know  it,  and  I  wouldn't  look  at  any  thing  else.  I'm 
not  a  very  good  one  myself — I  make  a  good  many 
crooked  paths  ;  but  I  wouldn't  dare  to  marry  a  man 
that  wasn't  tryin'  to  walk  with  me." 

Hiel  drew  a  long  sigh.  "  I'd  never  interfere  with 
ye  in  any  way,  shape,  or  manner.  I'd  go  to 
meetin'  and  stay  in  to  prayers  in  the  mornin'." 

She  almost  laughed.  "  Bless  your  heart,  you'd 
have  to  pray  yourself!  But  I  don't  want  no  man 
to  get  religion  on  my  account.  You  want  it  because 
you  need  it  to  live  by  and  die  by.  So  now  I've 
had  my  say.  Temptin'  as  you  make  it,  with  a  new 
house  and  all,  I  can't  listen.  I  think  I've  done 
right." 


244  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Hiel  flung  himself  away  in  a  rage,  but  she  was 
not  angry.  It  might  have  been  better  if  she  could 
have  had  that  energizing  experience  ;  but  instead 
she  sat  and  cried  until  the  little  ones  gathered 
around  and  lifted  up  their  voices  in  bitter  lamenta- 
tion. She  saw  before  her  a  lonely,  impoverished 
life,  a  long  struggle  with  the  world,  which  oftenest 
presented  itself  to  her  discouraged  soul  as  a  huge 
monster  with  a  special  spite  against  women,  and  the 
prospect  was  appalling.  But,  nevertheless,  her  con- 
science was  dominant.  Perhaps  the  time  will  come 
when  such  natures  are  rare,  but  New  England  nurt- 
ured many  in  the  early  generations;  undeveloped 
and  untrained,  perchance,  but  as  true  to  their  con- 
victions of  right,  as  self-denying,  as  the  best  of  their 
Puritan  ancestry.  Whatever  modern  materialism 
and  criticism  may  say  upon  the  subject,  it  was  that 
religious  element,  true  and  tough,  which  gave  New 
England  character  its  peculiar  charm,  and  stamped 
it  unmistakably  as 

"  Law  and  goodness,  love  and  force, 
Wedded  fast  beyond  divorce.". 

Such  a  character  thinks  much  of  its  own  ap- 
proval, and  so  in  the  midst  of  her  desolation,  beset 
by  her  womanly  fears  and  weakness,  our  friend  was 
able  to  endure  because  she  "  thought  she  had  done 
right." 

Meanwhile  Hiel  lashed  the  horses  on  through  the 
village  and  down  "  mill  hill,"  the  same  road  which 
Abram  had  taken  on  his  memorable  ride.  Men 
looked  after  him  in  surprise,  and  Barstow,  who  hap- 
pened to  be   in  the  store  door,  called  out  to  him, 


HIEL'S  EXPERIENCE.  245 

and  then  muttered  :  "  Wonder  what's  riled  up  Hiel, 
anyhow.  Never  knew  him  to  'buse  squire's  horses 
before."  The  hill  was  steep,  and  Hiel  drew  the 
frightened  creatures  back  upon  their  haunches  and 
sawed  their  bits  furiously,  then  whipped  them  again 
as  they  reared  and  tossed  their  heads.  He  swore 
at  them,  too,  and  that  was  what  brought  him  to  his 
senses,  for  swearing  was  not  allowed  in  his  creed  of 
morality.  He  looked  around  in  a  half-frightened 
way,  but  no  one  was  near.  The  mill  was  left  be- 
hind, and  he  had  come  into  the  cool  level  river  road, 
bordered  by  woods,  and  full  of  the  charming  tints 
and  quiet  sounds  of  the  approaching  autumn,  be- 
fore he  succeeded  in  stopping  the  horses.  Then, 
very  much  astonished  and  ashamed  of  himself,  he 
crawled  over  the  front  of  the  wagon  like  a  weak 
old  man,  and  began  to  pat  their  wet  flanks.  They 
looked  at  him  with  dilated  eyes  and  quivering  nos- 
trils, inquiring  as  well  as  they  could  if  this  was 
indeed  their  old  friend  Hiel.  He  plucked  green 
leaves  from  the  trees  and  fed  them,  then  let  them 
pull  down  branches  for  themselves  while  he  clam- 
bered back  to  his  seat  to  "  think  it  over."  He  had 
never  cared  for  any  one  as  he  cared  for  this  over- 
worked, sorrowful  little  woman  ;  and,  being  a  far- 
seeing  man,  he  had  supposed  she  would  feel  thank- 
ful to  accept  his  proffer  of  home  and  fortune. 

"  Je-whitiker  !  "  he  ejaculated  ;  "  if  she  thinks  I 
aint  's  good  's  Hi  Follinsbee  she's  mistakened. 
He  wasn't  wuth  a  tow-string  fer  business ;  couldn't 
save  any  more'n  a  sieve.  Women  must  be  fools 
any  way!"  But  Hiel  knew  very  well  that  her 
simple    refusal    would    not    have    aroused    such    a 


246  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

temper-tempest  as  he  had  passed  through.  It  was 
the  reason  she  gave.  "Ay!  there's  the  rub!" 
Because  he  wasn't  a  Christian  she  couldn't  marry 
him  !  He  had,  so  far  as  Gilead  air  was  favorable, 
cultivated  the  "  idea  "  which  is  cherished  by  thou- 
sands of  men  :  '  Some  Christians  are  full  of  faults ;  I 
have  but  few  faults ;  therefore,  I  am  better  than 
some  Christians.'  To  be  sure,  he  was  a  red-haired, 
weak-eyed,  country-bred  logician,  but  logic  does 
not  dictate  as  to  the  color  of  the  hair  or  strength 
of  the  eyes.  He  was  a  true  disciple  of  comparison, 
with  an  honest  admiration  for  consistency ;  but  for 
some  reason  his  creed  gave  him  no  comfort  now. 
He  was  enraged  at  that,  at  himself,  at  the  truth, 
which  sometimes  has  a  way  of  turning  and  looking 
at  men  as  Christ  looked  at  Peter,  which  is  very  un- 
pleasant. The  terrible  oath  he  had  uttered  seemed 
to  take  shape  and  mock  his  discomfiture,  and  as 
he  turned  the  horses  slowly  toward  the  mill  he  mur- 
mured :  "  If  a  man  was  like  corn,  now,  'n'  could  be 
put  in  the  hopper  'n'  groun'  up  fine,  may  be  he'd 
come  out  good  fer  somethin'."  Wherein  it  may  be 
seen  that  Hiel  had  found  a  weak  place  in  his 
logic. 

That  very  evening  Hiel  sought  Abram,  and 
having  enticed  him  into  the  barn,  where  they  could- 
lean  against  a  fragrant  hay-mow,  with  the  moonlight 
slanting  through  wide  open  doors,  he  found  courage 
to  ask  counsel. 

"  You  told  me  yerself  to  come  if  I  ever  got  into 
a  scrape,"  said  he. 

"I  haven't  forgotten,"  replied  Abram,  cordially. 
"  I  don't  pass  a  day  but  I  think  of  your  kindness 


HI  EL'S  EXPERIENCE.  247 

and  patience;  and  sometimes  I've  wondered  if  you 
ever  regretted  lending  me  the  money." 

"  Never;  not  a  mite!  If  I'd  put  in  with  Slocum 
'n'  his  son-in-law  a-spee'latin'  may  be  I'd  'a'  got 
neck-deep  in  meanness.  'Stead  o'  that  I've  made 
fairly  well,  I  take  it.  I've  lent  government  a  few 
hundred.  Squire  says  there's  no  question  but 
she'll  pay  up  one  o'  these  days;  'n'  then  I  bought 
that  piece  o'  land,  you  know.  Squire  didn't  want  me 
to  leave,  so  he  let  me  have  it  cheap,  'n'  it's  powerful 
good  land,  too.  But  I  didn't  come  to  talk  money- 
to-night,  'n'  you  can't  guess  within  ten  rows  o' 
apple-trees  what  I  du  want." 

And  then,  having  found  a  stick  to  whittle,  Hiel 
related  the  episode  of  the  afternoon.  Abram  was 
both  surprised  and  amused  ;  but,  being  appealed  to 
for  advice,  replied: 

"  Why,  I  think,  in  the  first  place,  that  you  were  in 
too  great  a  hurry.  It  was  only  the  first  of  June 
that  Hiram  was  shot,  not  quite  four  months  ago." 

But  Hiel  shook  his  head. 

"  Hiram  'd  been  away  two  years.  Don't  ye  forgit 
that.  It  aint  's  if  he'd  died  here  to  home.  And 
she  never  said  a  word  about  bein'  too  sudden. 
That  don't  trouble  me  none,  but  it's  the  other  thing 
— the  bein'  or  not  bein'  a  Christian." 

"Well,  Hiel,"  said  Abram,  soberly,  "you  know 
very  well  that  you  ought  to  be  one,  for  you  aren't 
a  heathen.  And  I've  often  thought  you  must  be  a 
Christian  at  heart,  you're  always  so  ready  to  do 
good." 

Again  Hiel  shook  his  head. 

"  That's  what  I  thought  myself  up  to  this  morn- 


24S  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS, 

in',  but  I  know  better  now.  I'd  give  a  hundred 
dollars  this  minute  if  I  knew  jest  what  to  do." 

"Why  don't  you  ask  the  minister?"  inquired 
Abr.im. 

"  O,  he's  too  young,"  responded  Hiel,  in  a  de- 
spondent tone.  "  He's  well  meanin',  but  I  should 
scare  him — I  know  I  should.  If 'twas  Mr.  Phelps  I 
wouldn't  mind." 

"  Why  not  go  to  the  old  minister  then  ?" 

Hiel  squinted  along  the  edge  of  the  stick  he  held, 
and  drew  a  long  breath.  "  You  see  how  'tis,  Abram, 
he  uses  lots  of  long  words,  good  words,  too,  but  I  've 
no  idee  of  the  dictionary  meanin'.  What  if  he 
sh'd  ask  me  if  I  was  predestinated  to  be  elected  ?  I 
couldn't  say  one  word,  'cause  I  don't  know.  It 
would  tangle  me  all  up,  sure  's  you  live,  Abram," 
said  Hiel,  in  a  changed  tone.  "Couldn't  you  jest 
tell  me  how  to  git  started  ?  Seems  to  me  I'd  ought 
to  know  ;  but  I  declare  to  you  it's  jest  's  dark  's  that 
corner  over  there  beyond  the  moonshine." 

"  Yes,  of  course  I  can  ;"  and  Abram's  voice  grew 
tender  with  his  theme.  "  If  you  mean  that  you  want 
to  be  a  Christian — not  so  you  can  marry  Mrs.  Fol- 
linsbee — but  because  it  is  the  right  thing  to  do — " 

"  Yes,  sir  !  that's  what  I  mean  !  "  asserted  Hiel. 

"  Then  it's  all  plain.  If  Jesus  was  on  earth  to- 
day, and  you  should  hear  that  he  was  at  the  Center, 
for  instance,  would  you  be  satisfied  to  hear  what  he 
was  doing,  or  would  you  want  to  go  and  see  for 
yourself?" 

"  Go,  of  course  !  " 

"  The  Bible  says  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  same 
yesterday  and  to-day  and  forever  ;  so  if  you  want 


FUEL'S  EXPERIENCE.  249 

to  know  about  him,  and  especially  if  you  want  to 
be  cured  of  any  disease,  you  must  do  now  as  you 
would  have  done  then,  go  to  him  yourself  and  ask 
him  for  all  you  need." 

"  That  seems  easy,"  said  Hiel. 

"  It  is  easy.  And  remember  he  has  promised  to 
save  every  one  that  comes  in  this  way.  Just  tell 
him  you're  sorry  you  didn't  come  before  and  con- 
fess your  sins,  and  God  can't  help  accepting  you, 
because  he  has  promised,  and  all  his  promises  are 
'  yea  and  amen  in  Christ  Jesus.' " 

"  Now,  hold  on  !  I  c'n  go  so  fur — I  c'n  b'lieve 
that  things  're  all  fixed  up  strong  at  that  end. 
'Twould  be  an  awful  sin  to  cheat  a  world  full  o' 
human  bein's,  'n'  I  don't  b'lieve  he  ever  done  it,  do 
you  ?  Now,  then  " — and  Hiel's  voice  grew  intense 
and  low — "  what  I  want  to  know  is  how  to  get  on 
to  that  promise,  so  I  c'n  feel  sure  I'm  there,  'n'  he'll 
see  me  'n'  jest  'tend  to  the  rest  of  it." 

"  Why,  Hiel,  seems  to  me  it  is  like  this  :  There's 
a  bridge  over  the  river  between  here  and  the  vil- 
lage, and  you  want  to  go  across.  You  never  think 
of  stopping  to  calculate  whether  you  can  get  on  the 
bridge  or  not.  You  keep  walking  till  you  step  on 
full  weight.  You  actually  have  to  do  it  of  your 
own  free  will.  Now,  this  promise  is  your  bridge, 
and — " 

"  I've  got  holt  o'  thet,  'n'  don't  you  say  another 
word.     I'll  work  this  thing  out — now  you  see  !  " 

And  out  of  the  barn,  through  the  clear  moonlight, 
Abram  watched  Hiel  stride  away.  He  did  "  work 
it  out,"  with  divine  help,  that  very  night,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  all  through  the  country-side 


250  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

spread  the  news  of  his  wonderful  conversion — 
"  wonderful  "  because,  within  their  narrow  reason- 
ing, this  was  outside  the  ordinary  channels  of  spir- 
itual refreshing  ;  but  it  proved  the  beginning  of  a 
gracious  and  gentle  revival  which  flowed  like  heal- 
ing waters  through  the  churches.  The  terrors  of 
battle-fields  and  hospitals,  the  oft-repeated  shocks 
of  bereavement,  the  desolated  homes,  empty  chairs, 
and  aching  hearts,  had  made  a  place  for  the  coming 
of  the  Comforter. 

Hiel  gave  himself  heartily  to  the  new  phase  of 
existence  which  opened  before  him,  finding  no 
weariness  now  in  "  goin'  to  meetin'  "  five  nights  in 
a  week,  and  his  quaint,  joyous  testimonies  were 
decidedly  helpful  where  the  general  tone  of  piety 
was  inclined  to  be  distrustful. 

But  for  several  weeks  Hiel  made  no  effort  to  meet 
Mrs.  Follinsbee.  With  natural  sensitiveness  he 
feared  she  might  suspect  him  of  hypocrisy,  while  she, 
in  turn,  was  equally  distressed  lest,  having  met  the 
conditions,  he  might  think  she  looked  for  his  return. 

In  due  time,  however,  a  happy  combination  of 
circumstances  enabled  them  to  become  reconciled 
without  serious  compromise,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  Gilead  was  saying,  laughingly  or  reproach- 
fully or  dubiously  : 

"  Hiel  Saunders  is  engaged  to  Hi  Follinsbee's 
widow  !     What  can  the  man  be  thinking  of?" 

That  was  what  Squire  Fletcher  asked  him  confi- 
dentially one  morning  in  the  harvest-field. 

"  Why,  Hiel,"  said  he,  "  wife  and  I  thought  per- 
haps you  and  Martha  would  make  a  match,  and  we 
could  keep  you  both." 


HIEL'S  EXPERIENCE.  251 

"  Wal,  now,  squire,"  responded  Hiel,  "  I'm  sorry 
to  disapp'int  any  body,  but  Marthy's  tu  brisk.  She 
never  lets  ye  feel  that  there's  any  time  to  rest.  I 
never  expect  to  eat  no  better  vittles  than  Marthy 
cooks,  but  I  tell  ye  she  keeps  her  eye  on  the  nut- 
cake  pail  !  Then,  squire,  she  aint  no  ways  han'- 
some.  She's  jest  like  a  Lumbardy  popple — right 
up  'n'  down,  straight  'n'  scant  's  you  please.  Now, 
Mis'  Follinsbee's  purty,  I  think,  'nd  when  she  gets 
dressed  up  other  folks  '11  say  so  tu.  She  needs  nice 
clo'es,  like  any  woman,  'n'  I  tell  ye  there's  lots 
of  women  that's  beholden  to  their  clo'es  more  'n 
you've  any  idee." 

The  squire  was  much  amused  over  Hiel's  ideas, 
and  chuckled  at  intervals  all  through  the  afternoon 
as  his  eyes  would  fall  upon  a  couple  of  Lombardy 
poplars  which  had  stood,  year  after  year,  a  picture 
of  independent  ugliness  in  a  field  near  the  roadside. 

"Yes,  that's  Martha — straight  and  scant  as  you 
please,"  he  would  say. 


252  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

FROM  THE  SHADOW  OF  DEATH. 

VIC  ARMSTRONG  had  been  up  since  early 
morning  engaged  in  "  cleaning  house."  As 
such  work  was  not  natural  to  her  she  was  apt  to 
keep  watch  of  the  movements  of  other  housekeep- 
ers, and  also  to  follow  rules  of  domestic  science  laid 
down  in  books  and  papers.  Mrs.  Stubbs,  who  was 
governed  by  an  intuitive  knowledge  something  like 
that  which  governs  birds  and  bees,  had  taken  up 
her  parlor  carpet  ;  hence  Vic  had  followed  suit,  and, 
by  an  all-day  siege,  had  made  her  chambers  sweet 
and  clean,  and  put  the  tiny  parlor  into  its  most 
cheery  condition.  But  in  opening  boxes  she  had 
come  across  Joe's  letters  in  their  many-hued,  patri- 
otic envelopes — letters  he  had  written  the  first  year 
of  enlistment ;  and  now,  as  she  rested  after  the  hard 
day's  work  in  her  favorite  seat  between  the  two 
trees,  she  held  a  package  in  her  lap,  reading  and 
crying  over  them.  It  had  been  one  of  those  dreamy 
autumn  days  when  every  thing  wears  an  unreal  as- 
pect. The  voices  of  men  at  work  in  the  fields,  the 
crowing  of  chanticleer,  the  barking  of  a  neighboring 
dog,  sounded  as  though  they  echoed  from  some 
other  world  just  outside  our  own.  The  sunset  rays 
were  now  slanting  across  the  little  "  front  yard  "  as 
though  loath  to  leave.     Vic's  flowers  were  past  their 


FROM  THE  SHADOW  OF  DEATH.  253 

season  of  beauty,  except  some  sturdy  coxcombs  and 
asters,  but  along  by  the  stone  wall  nodded  double 
rows  of  golden-rod — "  yaller  weed  "  the  farmer  folk 
called  it,  and  voted  it  a  nuisance  ;  but  Vic  liked  to 
have  it  hide  the  wall,  and  thus  far  it  had  escaped 
Frank's  threatening  scythe. 

Little  Nellie,  now  nearly  three  years  old,  was 
gathering  great  bouquets  of  red  and  yellow  leaves, 
which,  after  a  few  weeks  of  gorgeous  display,  were 
slowly  fluttering  to  the  ground.  But  she  saw  her 
mother's  tears  and  came  panting  through  the  heaped- 
up  leaves,  with  her  hands  full,  to  inquire, 

"  What  for  does  mamma  cry?  Baby  sinks  papa 
Joe  comin'  very  soon." 

This  was  the  charming  little  sentence  she  had 
learned  long  before,  but  now  it  brought  no  comfort. 

"  No,  no  ;  papa  wont  come  ever  again  ; "  and, 
pressing  the  little  one  close,  Vic's  tears  fell  faster. 

"  Nellie  ask  Uncle  Frank ;  I  can  find  papa  ;  " 
and  wriggling  away  from  her  mother  the  child 
trotted  down  the  roadway,  her  little  feet  rustling 
musically  through  the  leaves.  She  reached  a  tree 
which  marked  the  limit  of  her  journeyings,  and  then 
paused,  her  hands  clasped  behind  her  back  in  an 
old-fashioned  way,  her  dainty  little  head  held  at  one 
side  in  a  listening  attitude.  There  was  a  sound  of 
approaching  wagon-wheels,  but  it  was  not  "  Uncle 
Frank"  nor  Grandpa  Shaw.  Clapping  her  hands, 
she  said,  "  Somebody  come  'at  baby  knows  ;  "  and 
watched  eagerly  as  the  horse  slowly  drew  near  and 
stopped  a  few  feet  away.  The  driver  jumped  to  the 
ground  and  carefully  assisted  another  man — tall  and 
gaunt,  wearing  an  old   light-blue  soldier's  overcoat 


254  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

— to  alight.  Handing  him  a  cane  and  a  parcel,  he 
turned  slowly,  saying,  as  he  did  so,  "  You'd  ought  ter 
let  me  drove  clear  up  to  the  door ;  I  wouldn't  'a' 
charged  a  cent  more,  'n'  I'll  bet  it  '11  be  too  much 
for  ye." 

As  for  little  Nellie,  she  gave  one  frightened 
glance,  and  started  toward  her  mother. 

But  the  man  had  seen  her,  and  as  he  rested  for 
an  instant  upon  his  cane  he  said,  in  a  strange, 
hoarse  tone,  "  Nellie — baby — go  tell  mamma — 
papa's  coming !  " 

The  little  thing  could  not  have  comprehended  his 
meaning,  but,  stumbling  up  the  slope  as  fast  as 
she  could  with  outstretched  hands,  she  cried,  shrilly, 
"  Baby's  sure  Papa  Joe's  comin'  very  soon." 

Her  tone  startled  Vic,  who  sprang  up  from  her 
reverie  and  started  toward  her,  saw  the  stranger, 
and  stopped  again.  Her  heart  seemed  to  stand 
still  as  she  watched  him.  Had  the  battle-field  given 
up  its  slain  ?  And  then  with  a  little  cry  she  almost 
flew  over  the  space  between  them  and  clasped  in 
her  arms  all  that  she  could  hold  of  the  unshaven, 
threadbare,  hollow-eyed  soldier. 

"  Joe,  Joe  !  tell  me  it's  truly  you  ?  "  she  gasped. 

And  the  husky  voice  that  answered  convinced 
her:  "Yes,  Vic,  poor  little  wife;  all  that's  left 
of  me  !  " 

It  was  fortunate  for  both  of  them  that  the  house 
was  near,  for  Joe's  strength  was  well-nigh  exhausted. 
But  Vic  helped  him  over  the  clean  hard  walk  be- 
tween the  flower-beds,  into  the  kitchen,  and  on  the 
lounge.  With  trembling  hands  she  removed  cap 
and     coat  ;    got    a    pillow    under    his    clear    head  ; 


FROM  THE  SHADO  W  OF  DEA  TIL  255 

brought  water,  camphor,  milk — every  thing  she 
could  think  of — and  waited  until  he  could  speak 
again. 

Reviving  a  little,  he  smiled,  and  said,  "  It  was 
'most  too  far  to  come — without  resting — but  I 
couldn't  wait." 

And  then,  kissing  him  very  softly,  Vic  calmed  her 
self  to  whisper,  "Joe,  dear,  where  have  you  been 
since  last  June  ?  " 

"  Andersonville  ;  didn't  you  know?  "  he  asked  in 
a  surprised  tone. 

"  No ;  the  paper  said  you  were  found,  and  my 
letter  was  in  your  pocket,"  she  replied. 

"  I  handed  it  to  Chester  just  before  the  battle. 
Poor  Chester!  "  said  Joe,  greatly  moved. 

"  Never  mind  now.  We'll  talk  of  that  by  and  by  ;  " 
and  Vic  with  rare  forbearance  closed  her  lips  very 
tightly.  Then  she  brought  water  and  gently  bathed 
his  face  and  hands,  brushed  the  long  hair  away  from 
his  forehead,  keeping  back  the  cries  that  almost  es- 
caped her  lips  as  she  realized  his  extreme  emacia- 
tion. 

Little  Nellie  drew  nearer,  her  eyes  full  of  wonder 
and  pity,  and  at  length  laid  one  soft  little  hand 
upon  his  face.  Joe  drew  it  to  his  parched  lips,  and 
tears  began  to  roll  down  his  sunken  cheeks.  But 
even  then,  while  they  watched  him  tenderly,  he  fell 
asleep. 

Frank's  return  was  most  opportune,  and,  allow- 
ing him  but  one  glimpse  of  Joe,  Vic  sent  him  with 
all  speed  to  the  village  for  Doctor  Snow  and  Miss 
Hancock.  Fortunately  they  both  came,  and  by 
nine  o'clock  Joe  was  in  a  clean  bed,   ready  for  a 


256  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

night's  rest,  and  able  to  smile  upon  them  all  as  he 
murmured,  "  This  must  be  like  heaven  !  " 

"  There  were  two  of  the  exchanged  prisoners  in 
the  stage  to-night,  somebody  told  me,"  said  Miss 
Hancock,  as  they  left  the  room  ;  "  but  Joe  must  have 
got  a  team  to  bring  him  right  over  from  the  land- 
ing. Mr.  Hickey  happened  to  be  in  the  village,  and 
they  say  he  took  John  Henry  home  in  Mr.  Plum- 
ley's  carriage.  One  of  the  others  was  Homer  Smith. 
Judson  Plumley  was  just  discharged  from  the  hos- 
pital and  happened  to  come  from  Washington  with 
them,  so  he  took  Homer  home  for  the  night.  There 
was  a  great  stir  over  Lieutenant  Plumley  ;  as  many 
as  a  hundred  people  gathered  around  the  post-office, 
I  should  think.  O,  thank  the  Lord  that  some  of 
our  boys  are  coming  back !  " 

This  was  the  signal  for  Vic's  enforced  calmness  to 
give  way,  and  with  tears  and  hysterical  laughter  she 
clung  to  Miss  Hancock,  while  the  old  doctor  patted 
her  shoulder,  and  said,  in  very  unsteady  tones, 
"  That's  right !  that's  right !  Cry  all  you  want  to  ; 
only  cry  easy,  so  Joe  wont  hear." 

But  Joe  was  in- little  danger  of  being  disturbed. 
His  strong  physique  had  apparently  succumbed  to 
hardship  and  privation  as  many  a  feebler  one  had 
not  ;  and  the  stupor  into  which  he  sank  that  night 
was  the  prelude  of  other  nights  and  days,  when, 
barely  clinging  to  life,  he  lived  over  again  and  again 
his  Andersonville  experience. 

The  home-coming  of  these  prison-starved  soldiers 
had  been  without  warning,  hundreds  having  been 
exchanged  at  the  same  time  and  sent  as  rapidly  as 
possible  in  many  different  directions.     Hence,  there 


FROM  THE  SHADO  IV  OF  DEA  TH.  257 

were  many  joyful,  painful  surprises  all  through  the 
North.  The  few  who  came  to  Gilead  were  but  a 
fair  type  of  the  entire  company;  enough  could  they 
have  been  seen  together  in  their  squalid  misery  to 
call  the  nation  to  its  knees ! 

But  we  must  climb  the  hill  to  witness  the  arrival 
of  another  old  friend. 

Mrs.  Hickey,  whose  face  bore  the  lasting  impress 
of  sorrow,  and  whose  black  dress  told  the  common 
story  of  bereavement,  sat  in  her  neat  kitchen  in  the 
early  evening  awaiting  her  husband's  return  from 
the  village,  when,  instead  of  the  steady  tramp  of  the 
old  horse,  she  caught  the  sound  of  wheels  slowly 
approaching  the  house. 

"  Emmeline,  take  a  candle  and  see  who's  coming. 
It  can't  be  father,  for  he  went  horseback,"  said  she. 

The  little  girl  was  soon  in  the  door-way,  shielding 
a  flickering  light  with  one  hand  while  she  peered 
out  into  the  darkness. 

"Hullo,  Emmie!  Who  d'  you  think  I've  got 
for  a  passenger?"  called  her  father,  with  a  curious 
laugh. 

Mrs.  Hickey  came  and  stood  behind  Emmeline, 
and  as  she  appeared  a  strange,  reedy  voice  from 
within  the  carriage  called,  "  Mother!" 

She  extended  her  arms  with  an  answering  cry, 
and  the  next  moment  gathered  her  bony,  disreputa- 
ble-looking boy  to  her  longing  heart. 

"  Is  this  the  way  they  send  you  home,  John 
Henry?"  she  sobbed,  when  under  the  lamp-light  of 
the  kitchen  she  saw  his  forlorn  appearance  more 
fully.  "  O  !  what  have  they  done  to  you,  my  boy?  " 
And  with  eager,  trembling  hands,  she  drew  him  to 
17 


258  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

the  arm-chair  beside  the  fire,  and  removed  his  cap, 
clasping  him  again  in  an  ecstasy  of  bewilderment 
and  joy. 

"  Tried  to  starve  me,  mother,"  said  he,  with  a 
pitiful  attempt  to  be  merry.  "  The  rebs  thought 
they  were  doing  God  service  by  killing  off  Yankees, 
and  they  actually  thought  they  were  going  to  pick 
my  bones  ;  but  I  thought  I'd  rather  give  'em  to 
Vermont  crows.  So  here  I  am,  hungry  enough  to 
eat  the  fatted  calf,  hoofs  and  all." 

"Hungry!  of  course  you  are!"  and  upon  that 
Mrs.  Hickey  almost  ran  back  and  forth,  until  she 
had  barricaded  him  with  all  sorts  of  dainties. 

"  But  why  didn't  you  write  when  you  was  coming, 
dear  child  ?  I'm  so  surprised  I  don't  know  what  to 
do  first ;  "  and  Mrs.  Hickey's  strong  nerves  certainly 
suffered  strange  vibrations  as  she  hovered  over  him. 

John  Henry  laughed  feebly.  "Why  didn't  I 
write?  I'll  tell  you  how  'twas,  mother.  We  didn't 
have  any  gilt-edged  paper,  and  the  rebs  kept  our 
rosewood  writing-desks,  and  Uncle  Sam  forgot  to 
send  postage  stamps.  So  they  just  packed  us 
aboard  the  cars  and  sent  us  off  to  carry  the  news 
ourselves.  But,  mother,  the  best  thing  you  can  do 
for  me  is  to  put  me  in  the  bed  where  George  and  I 
used  to  sleep,  under  that  sun-flower  bed-quilt.  O, 
how  many  times  I've  dreamed  about  it !  And,  fa- 
ther, if  you'll  help  me  up-stairs  you  may,  for,  hon- 
estly, there's  nothing  about  me  that  feels  quite  right, 
except  my  tongue." 

It  was  not  long  before  the  poor  fellow  was  bathed 
and  put  between  clean  sheets,  which  made  him  feel 
"  like  an  old  aristocrat." 


FROM  THE  SHADOW  OF  DEATH.  259 

"  O,  mother  !  "  he  groaned,  fairly  burdened  with 
luxury,  "  if  I  only  knew  that  all  the  boys  were  as 
well  off !  Your  heart  would  have  ached  if  you  had 
seen  them  come  out  of  Andersonville.  Some  of 
'em  couldn't  get  aboard  the  cars,  they  were  so  weak, 
and  so  died  just  as  they  thought  there  was  a  chance 
to  start  for  home.  And  I  tell  you,  we  had  hard 
work  to  get  poor  Joe  Armstrong  through  ;  we'd 
keep  saying,  'Just  a  few  days  more  and  you'll  see 
Vic  and  the  baby  ; '  and  that,  with  the  food  they 
gave  us  on  the  way,  was  all  that  kept  him  alive." 

"  Now,  John  Henry,"  interposed  his  father,  in  the 
tone  he  had  used  when  his  children  were  young, 
"you  stop  talking  to-night,  and  when  you  get 
rested  you  shall  tell  the  whole  story.  We  want  to 
hear  it  bad  enough,  but  not  to-night.  Don't  forget 
to  thank  the  Lord  for  bringin'  you  safe  home." 

"No,  sir;  but,  mother,  just  one  thing  more: 
will  you  get  up  a  boiled  dinner  to-morrow,  with 
plenty  of  cabbage  and  beets,  and  a  pudding?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  any  thing  you  want,"  they  responded, 
and  then  left  him,  but  not  alone,  for  Mrs.  Hickey 
sat  by  the  kitchen  fire  through  the  night,  stealing 
up  to  his  room  every  half  hour,  fearful  lest  starva- 
tion and  exposure  would  yet  rob  her  of  her  boy. 
And  here,  too,  intense  joy  was  mingled  with  grief; 
for  the  mother  could  not  forget,  as  she  watched 
through  the  dark,  silent  hours,  that  she  had  sent 
two  stalwart  sons  away  in  their  new  blue  "  regiment- 
als "  and  only  one  had  returned  ! 

It  was  a  strong  faith  which  could  still  sing,  "  Free- 
dom is  worth  all  this  and  more." 

We  may  as  well  state  just  here  that  that  "  boiled 


200  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

dish"  proved  an  almost  fatal  enjoyment  to  our  poor 
soldier-boy.  After  the  manner  of  New  England 
housekeepers,  Mrs.  Hickey  cooked  a  large  quantity 
of  corned  beef,  pork,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables, 
setting  away  the  portion  which  remained  after  din- 
ner for  another  meal.  But  John  Henry  knew  where 
the  pantry  was;  and  with  his  ravenous  hunger  un- 
satisfied he  waited  only  until  the  rest  of  the  family 
chanced  to  be  employed  elsewhere  to  descend  upon 
that  platter  and  capture  a  good  part  of  its  contents. 
But  it  was  impossible  to  make  up  a  two  years'  lack 
of  "boiled  dishes  "  in  one  day,  and  our  "  forager" 
paid  the  penalty  of  his  rashness  by  terrible  suffer- 
ing. Doctor  Adams  and  Miss  Hancock  united 
their  human  skill,  and  poor  Mrs.  Hickey  watched 
incessantly  until  the  danger  was  averted  ;  but  John 
Henry  was  reduced  to  "  spoon  victuals"  for  several 
weeks  in  consequence,  much  to  his  disgust. 

Great  interest  was  felt  in  the  experiences  of  these 
liberated  captives,  and  a  pathetic  blending  of  curi- 
osity and  loving  sympathy  brought  visitors  from  far 
and  near  to  gaze  upon  them. 

John  Henry  told  his  father  that  he  was  neglect- 
ing a  rare  opportunity  to  amass  a  fortune  in  not 
charging  an  admission  fee  !  As  the  evenings  grew 
long,  and  gathered  harvests  brought  leisure  to  the 
farmers,  he  had  a  chance  to  tell  his  story  again  and 
again — a  story  which  could  have  been  duplicated 
by  thousands.  But  with  the  hope  and  promise  of 
a  better  South  and  a  better  North,  we  need  not 
recall  it,  only  as  a  warning  against  national  sins 
which  bring  bitter  punishments  and  demand  price- 
less ransoms. 


THE  RAID  AND  A  RAIDER.  261 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

THE    RAID    AND    A    RAIDER. 

"  W  7  ELL,  father,  I  guess  you  wont  laugh  about 
V  V  the  raiders  any  more,  for  they've  cleaned 
out  the  St.  Albans  banks  in  fine  style,"  said  Benjie 
Steele  one  fine  October  evening  on  his  return  from 
the  village. 

"You  don't  say  so  !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Steele. 

"  Yes,  sir;  there's  more  'n  two  columns  here  from 
a  Burlington  paper." 

"  I've  told  you  all  along  that  the  rebels  would 
come  'round  by  way  of  Canada !  Now  I  guess 
you'll  be  ready  to  put  locks  on  the  outside  doors ;  " 
and  Mrs.  Steele  turned  from  the  cupboard,  where 
she  had  just  deposited  the  last  "  supper  dish,"  with 
a  look  of  mild  reproach. 

But  Mr.  Steele  only  laughed.  "  O,  now,  mother," 
said  he,  "  the  raiders  wont  trouble  us.  They  may 
try  the  bank — I  don't  say  they  wont — but  they'll 
let  us  alone." 

"  Unless  they  want  horses ;  I  heard  they  stole 
some  up  on  the  border,"  said  Abram. 

"  Read  what  you  have  there,  Benjamin,  and  to- 
morrow I'll  see  to  the  doors  and  board  up  the  hen- 
coops." 

Mr.  Steele,  with  his  good-natured  trust  in  hu- 
manity, was  evidently  unwilling  to  believe  that  the 


262  THE  G1LEAD-  GUARDS. 

gaunt  hand  of  war  could  reach  the  Green  Mount- 
ains, and  listened  with  a  sort  of  incredulous  sur- 
prise as  Benjie  read  :  "  The  raiders  had  been  in  the 
village  for  several  days.  They  had  been  at  the 
different  hotels,  and  citizens  had  noticed  the  well- 
dressed,  well-armed  strangers  with  some  curiosity. 
On  Wednesday,  at  half  past  three  o'clock,  they  sta- 
tioned a  patrol  on  the  streets,  and  then  in  parties 
of  five  or  six  descended  upon  the  three  banks  in  the 
village.  At  one  they  held  their  pistols  to  the  heads 
of  the  teller  and  one  of  the  directors,  making  them 
swear  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy, and  taking  $73,500.  At  another  the  band 
introduced  themselves  as  Confederate  soldiers,  and 
cleaned  the  bank  of  $85,000,  shutting  the  cashier 
and  another  man  into  the  vault  when  they  left  the 
bank.  The  third  bank  lost  $52,000."  Then  fol- 
lowed an  account  of  persons  who  had  been  shot, 
and  of  the  pursuit  ;  of  the  arrival  of  re-enforcements, 
the  departure  of  the  raiders,  etc.  An  editorial  note 
stated  that  the  border  counties  were  getting  well 
under  arms  and  forming  military  companies  for  pro- 
tection against  further  raids.  Returned  soldiers  and 
citizens  were  alike  enlisting  for  this  service. 

A  few  days  later  official  news  was  received  warn- 
ing the  people  to  expect  these  incursions  of  "  rebels 
and  skedaddlers  from  Canada,"  and  to  allow  no 
stranger  at  farm-house  or  on  the  highway.  Gilead, 
having  a  bank,  was  morally  sure  of  a  visit,  and  pre- 
pared to  receive  it.  Every  road,  the  river  and  its 
bridges,  were  put  under  guard,  and  woe  to  the  man 
who  couldn't  give  an  account  of  himself ! 

To  a  few  ardent  young  souls  like  Benjie  the  whole 


THE  RAID  AND  A  RAIDER.  263 

affair  was  an  episode  apparently  arranged  for  their 
express  benefit,  a  grand  opportunity  to  prove  their 
bravery. 

The  post  of  duty  assigned  to  our  young  friend 
was  not,  however,  exactly  what  he  would  have 
chosen,  being  what  was  called  "  the  old  road  "  lead- 
ing over  the  hill  pasture  of  their  own  farm.  It  had 
long  since  been  abandoned  for  the  more  easily  trav- 
eled valley  road,  but  there  were  still  grass-grown 
ruts  discernible  between  encroaching  trees  and  un- 
derbrush, holding  a  possibility  for  horseback  riders 
or  wary  footmen. 

It  was  a  dark  night,  with  a  lonesome  wind  telling 
ghost-stories  in  the  tree-tops,  when  he  was  first  called 
into  service  ;  but  Benjie  shouldered  his  rifle  like  a 
veteran  and  marched  up  the  hill.  One  of  the  neigh- 
bors was  stationed  within  hallooing  distance,  but 
Benjie  thought,  incidentally,  it  would  have  been  a 
good  plan  if  they  could  have  been  nearer  each  other. 
He  carried  a  lantern  and  matches  for  an  emergency, 
for  which  he  felt  quite  ready  after  walking  stealthily 
back  and  forth  two  or  three  hours,  listening  intently 
for  raiders.  The  nervous  strain  was  greater  than  he 
had  expected,  and  the  power  of  imagination  invested 
the  familiar  landscape  with  grotesque  creations,  ap- 
parently as  real  as  every-day  companions.  A  book 
of  Grecian  history  had  fallen  into  Benjie's  hands  a 
short  time  before,  and,  with  a  fine  scorn  for  the 
visionary  and  fantastic,  he  had  called  the  old  Greeks 
"  a  set  of  simpletons  !  "  But  to-night,  watching  the 
wind-swayed  branches,  they  became  warning,  be- 
seeching hands,  with  a  personality  behind  them  ; 
and  an  oddly  broken  and  parti-colored  stump  be- 


264  THE  CI  LEAD'  GUARDS. 

came  in  the  starlight  a  man  with  a  contemplative 
air,  just  ready  to  impart  his  wisdom  to  some  kin- 
dred mind ;  and  our  young  philosopher  decided 
that  under  some  circumstances  it  would  not  be  dif- 
ficult to  people  a  world  with  beings  neither  human 
nor  divine ! 

And  the  noises  !  Who  could  explain  them?  A 
dead  limb  fell  with  a  thud  a  few  rods  away;  then, 
snap,  snap  !  twigs  were  breaking  in  a  thicket  like 
the  click  of  many  rifles.  Then  the  wind  swept  over 
the  hill,  and  Benjie  was  sure  it  held  the  echo  of 
horses'  hoofs,  and  somehow  the  comical  side  of 
"watching  for  raiders"  suffered  a  total  eclipse  just 
then  ! 

But  at  length  a  sound  different  from  any  of  these 
smote  his  ear  and  set  his  heart  to  thumping  wildly. 
It  was  a  something  quite  as  large  as  a  man — as  large 
as  several  men,  he  thought — advancing  deliberately 
and  stealthily.  Waiting  until  he  heard  the  bushes 
near  by  parting  and  cracking  on  either  side,  he 
shouted,  "  Halt !  "  There  was  an  instant  of  intense 
silence. 

"  Give  your  name  and  the  countersign,  or  I  fire  !  " 

There  was  no  response  to  this,  but  instead  what 
sounded  to  Benjie  like  a  snort  of  derision,  and  he 
fired  ! 

He  also  "  hallooed,"  and  retreated  rapidly  toward 
the  open  field;  but  as  the  "something"  crashed 
away  through  the  bushes  and  down  the  hill  there 
was  a  significant  "  Mo-o-o  !  "  which  sufficiently  re- 
vealed the  personality  of  that  intruder  ! 

When  neighbor  Hiller  appeared  Benjie  ex- 
plained the  report   by  saying  that  he   "  guessed  he 


THE  RAID  AND  A  RAIDER.  265 

got  nervous,  but  he  really  thought  the  rebels  were 
coming  through  the  woods." 

"  Don't  wonder !  "  exclaimed  the  honest  farmer, 
sympathetically,  "  the  woods  're  full  of  the  most 
outlandish  noises  I  ever  heard.  The  rabbits  and 
squirrels  seem  to  be  havin'  a  picnic  out  my  way, 
and  if  I  didn't  know  better  I  should  say  there  was 
somethin'  's  big  as  a  bear  among  the  hemlocks." 

Benjie  was  greatly  relieved  to  find  so  congenial  a 
spirit,  and  shared  his  lunch  with  him,  much  to  their 
mutual  benefit.  The  rest  of  the  night  passed  with- 
out adventure,  for  the  spell  of  fear  was  broken  ;  but 
Benjie  had  learned  his  lesson.  It  was  some  time, 
however,  before  he  told  the  story  of  his  fright  and 
old  Brindle's  narrow  escape. 

Abram  was  stationed  at  the  bridge  between  farm 
and  village  that  night.  He  had  known  that  his 
"beat"  would  be  less  lonely  than  Benjie's,  and  sug- 
gested changing  with  him  ;  but  Mr.  Steele  had 
said,  "  No,  no  !  let  Benjamin  try  his  pluck  in  the 
pastur'.  He's  too  hot-headed  to  stan'  on  the 
bridge." 

During  the  evening  there  was  the  usual  travel  to 
and  from  the  village,  and  the  neighbors — kind 
souls  ! — did  not  forget  the  past  as  they  recognized 
Abram  in  his  new  character. 

"  Don't  get  lonesome  to-night.  John  Henry  says 
picket  duty  is  rather  scary  sometimes,"  said  Mr. 
Hickey. 

"Always  thought  you'd  be  a  soldier  ever  sence 
you  talked  up  so  smart  about  it,"  called  Mr.  Slo- 
cum  ;  "but  them  that  fight  an'  runs  away  lives  to 
fight  another  day;    don't  you  know  they  do?  " 


266  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

And  another  shouted  back  above  the  rattling  of 
his  wagon,  "  The  watch  up  our  way  come  pretty 
nigh  shootin'  my  woman  las'  night.  She  was  out 
huntin'  up  her  geese  after  dark,  'n'  when  she  come 
back  drivin'  of  'em,  the  feller  got  scairt  'n'  fired. 
Didn't  know  so  much  's  a  goose,  he  didn't.  So 
now  don't  you  fire  at  no  woman  !  Haw,  haw  !  " 
and  turning  about  on  his  seat  he  slapped  the  reins 
and  drove  off  rapidly,  still  laughing. 

The  last  straggler  was  a  returned  soldier — poor 
fellow  ! — who  had  learned  to  love  whisky  all  too 
well  while  in  the  army.  He  came  across  the  bridge 
— not  quite  steadily — in  his  light  blue  cape-over- 
coat, which  could  always  be  recognized  so  far  away 
in  those  days,  and  drawled,  "  Give  my  love  to  the 
Johnnies,  Abram,  and  tell  'em  I'd  'a'  been  on  hand 
to  meet  'em  if  I  hadn't  got  to  have  the  sha-shakes 
to-night.  Give  us  yer  hand,  and  mind  you  don't 
show  the  white — white  feather,  Abram,  and  let  'em 
slip  through  your  fingers."  And  away  he  went 
trolling  a  camp  song  ;  brave  to  meet  rebels,  but  a 
coward,  alas !  before  his  worst  enemy. 

And  so  the  last  one  crossed  the  bridge,  and  all 
along  the  river  a  heavy  white  fog  hung  like  a  cold 
pall,  gradually  reaching  out  over  the  valley  and  cov- 
ering the  lonely  sentinels. 

Then  Abram,  as  he  paced  back  and  forth,  ex- 
claimed bitterly  to  himself,  "  And  this  '  mimicry  of 
war  'is  all  I  can  expect  !  Others  can  die  and  wear 
martyrs'  crowns,  but  I  must  live  and  wear  a  fool's 
cap!" 

His  was,  as  has  before  been  stated,  a  long-en- 
during nature,  strong  to  bear  disappointment,  and 


THE  RAID  AND  A  RAIDER.  267 

able  to  keep  it  out  of  sight  ;  but  there  were  times 
when  the  old  rebellious  nature  asserted  itself.  And 
then  he  loathed  the  close  economy  and  small  de- 
ceptions he  was  practicing.  Even  the  fact  that  his 
obligation  to  Hiel  was  nearly  canceled  gave  small 
comfort  at  such  times.  What  did  it  all  amount  to? 
His  father  and  mother  mourned  over  Austin  as  one 
dead.  He  was  a  hero  and  almost  a  saint.  His 
photograph,  the  few  letters  that  had  reached  them, 
with  articles  of  clothing  and  his  books,  had  been 
laid  away  with  plenty  of  rose-leaves  in  a  trunk  by 
themselves  as  sacred  relics.  And  when,  stung  by 
some  unjust  word,  Abram  was  tempted  to  tear 
away  this  halo  that  surrounded  the  "soldier-boy" 
his  heart  invariably  relented.  "  I  can't  do  it. 
Father  and  mother  think  he's  all  right,  and  I'll 
never  undeceive  them,"  he  would  say,  and  set  his 
face  steadfastly  toward  some  duty,  thus  working 
his  way  past  temptation.  But  this  temptation  was 
gradually  losing  its  power,  for  there  was  an  increas- 
ing tenderness  in  his  own  heart  toward  his  brother 
as  time  seemed  to  ratify  the  theory  of  his  death. 
The  face  that  had  lain  close  to  his  own  so  many, 
many  nights  through  childhood  and  boyhood  would 
sometimes  suddenly  appear,  and,  looking  again 
into  the  willful,  mischievous  eyes — but  always 
honest  eyes — he  would  whisper,  "  It's  all  a  mistake, 
Tony  ;  a  terrible  mistake  !  "  Tony  was  the  name 
he  had  given  his  brother  when  they  were  little  fel- 
lows, and  it  had  been  years  since  he  had  used 
it.  But  now  that  the  silence  of  mystery  and 
probable  death  had  fallen  between  them  it  often 
recurred    to    him,  and   with    it    returned  the   half- 


268  I'll E  G1LEAD  GUARDS. 

protecting,  half-patronizing  feeling  which  older 
brothers  affect. 

Truly,  death  is  a  wonderful  peacemaker,  and 
there  is  divine  wisdom  in  the  separation  which 
makes  it  possible  for  good  people,  who  don't  al- 
ways agree,  to  lose  the  bitterness  of  old  animosi- 
ties before  they  meet  in  the  beyond.  If  an  entire 
circle  of  relatives  or  friends  was  removed  at  the 
same  time,  it  would  need  all  the  sweetness  of 
heaven  to  tone  down  the  discordant  elements  and 
unravel  the  misunderstandings  ;  but,  as  it  is,  death 
touches  them  one  by  one ;  and  when  old  antag- 
onists finally  come  together  they  will  probably 
have  to  stop  and  inquire  "  the  cause  of  that  little 
disturbance  down  in  earth."  All  of  which  leads 
the  logical  mind  to  ask,  "  If  these  things  weigh  so 
little  in  the  world  of  true  weights  and  measures, 
why  do  we  allow  them  to  torment  and  wound  us  so 
here  ?  " 

But  Abram,  pacing  back  and  forth  on  the  bridge, 
was  not  troubled  by  a  single  thought  of  bitterness 
or  revenge  toward  his  brother.  It  was  a  new 
temptation  which  used  the  old  form  of  expression 
against  the  old  annoyances.  The  new  temptation 
was  Ruby. 

She  had  returned,  after  graduating  "  with  honor," 
and,  to  his  dismay,  he  found  she  was  just  as  dear 
as  ever.  She  had  come  with  all  her  added  gifts  and 
graces,  but  was  as  far  from  his  worshipful  eyes,  ap- 
parently, as  the  topmost  peak  of  the  Green  Mount- 
ains. She  had  joined  the  choir  again,  as  though 
there  had  been  no  interim  ;  but  in  the  gallery,  as 
every-where  else,  she  met  him  with  a  studied  cour- 


THE  RAID  AND  A   RAIDER.  269 

tesy  which  was  almost  as  edifying  as  it  was  humili- 
ating. And  then,  just  as  he  had  decided  to  make 
her  hear  his  story  and  do  him  justice,  came  a 
dapper  little  lieutenant  who  walked  with  a  cane  ! 
He  sang  with  Ruby,  he  rode  horseback  with  her, 
and  limped  into  church  beside  her;  and  Gilead 
whispered  and  nodded,  as  humdrum  country  places 
will,  and  reported  that  "  it  was  settled  !  "  All  this 
was  gall  and  wormwood  to  Abram.  Every  smile 
she  bestowed  upon  the  stranger,  the  gentle  defer- 
ence with  which  she  moderated  her  step  to  his,  the 
expression  she  threw  into  "  Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds,"  he  noticed  and  interpreted  in  accordance 
with  his  own  fears.  And  so,  as  he  considered  the 
matter  that  night — and  the  raiders  did  not  interfere 
with  his  train  of  thought — he  decided  to  leave 
Gilead  as  soon  as  he  could  make  his  arrangements 
to  do  so.  Having  made  this  conclusion,  he  was 
quite  willing  to  see  the  fog  assume  a  lighter  hue — 
the  first  token  of  a  new  day — as  he  repeated  to 
himself  the  old  couplet,  of  which  many  repetitions 
had  made  him  rather  fond  : 

"  When  all  the  blandishments  of  life  are  gone 
The  coward  sneaks  to  death,  the  brave  lives  on." 

Objects  nearby  were  now  perceptible,  and  he  saw 
that  he  could  soon  leave  his  post,  when  he  heard 
the  sound  of  footsteps  coming  from  the  village,  ac- 
companied by  a  whistled  tune.  It  was  "  The  Vacant 
Chair,"  and  Abram's  first  thought  was  that  no  rebel 
would  whistle  that  tune.  Nevertheless,  he  leveled 
his  rifle  and  cried,  "  Halt !  "  as  the  figure  of  a  man 
appeared. 


270  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  Whatever  !"  said  a  wondering  voice  ;  and  then, 
"  O,  yes!  you're  guarding  the  old  bridge!  Well, 
I'm  the  'prodigal  son'  returning  to  my  father's 
house,  and  the  countersign  is,  '  E  plurrbus  unum.'  " 
Something  in  the  voice  caused  Abram  to  lower  his 
rifle. 

"What's  your  name?  "  he  inquired. 

For  answer  a  tall  soldier  advanced  with  the  cry, 
"  Abram  !  I  believe  it's  you  !  "  and  the  next  mo- 
ment, with  an  answering  cry  of  "Austin!"  the 
two  brothers  met  each  other. 

"  Only  your  left  hand  to  shake  with  !  is  that  so?" 
asked  Abram,  huskily. 

"Yes,  or  I  would  have  sent  you  word  ;  for  I  got 
your  letter  three  months  ago,  Abram,  and,  old  fel- 
low, how  could  you  stand  it  ?  " 


RUBY'S  HERO.  271 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

RUBY'S  HERO. 

ABRAM  halted  in  the  road  and  faced  his  brother. 
"Then  you  never  took  that  money?  It  was 
a  lie,  was  it  ?"  he  asked. 

"  Of  course  'twas  a  lie  !  Did  you  think  one  of 
father's  boys  would  steal?  I  knew  nothing  about 
it  till  I  got  your  letter,"  replied  Austin,  his  face 
quivering  with  excitement. 

Abram  drew  a  long  breath,  and  straightened  him- 
self, as  though  a  burden  had  been  lifted. 

"All  right!  now  take  my  arm  and  tell  me  about 
it  as  we  walk  home." 

"It's  a  long  story,  Abram,  but  I'll  tell  you  what 
I  can.  You  see  I've  been  on  the  go  ever  since  I 
enlisted.  And  I  got  careless  about  writing,  and 
about  other  things.  Some  of  my  letters  were  prob- 
ably lost — yours  were,  I  know — and  sometimes 
there  were  weeks  when  we  couldn't  hear  from 
home.  Well,  you  can't  understand  it,  but  it's  the 
easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  learn  to  play  cards  and 
drink  and  smoke  and  cut  up  generally  when  the 
other  fellows  are  doing  it.  And  so  I  didn't  like  to 
think  much  about  father  and  mother,  and  kept  put- 
ting off  writing,  even  when  I  might  have  done  it. 
But  when  we  got  down  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley 
with    Sheridan    we    got    a    big  mail   one    day,  and 


272  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

among  other  things  was  your  letter.  When  I  read 
it  I  thought  I  couldn't  wait  to  see  you.  But  before 
I  could  write,  even,  we  met  the  rebs  about  six  miles 
from  Winchester." 

"  And  was  that  where  you  lost  your  arm  ?  "  asked 
Abram. 

"  Yes ;  a  shell  struck  a  tree  close  by,  glanced,  and 
took  it  off  before  you  could  say  '  Jack  Robinson  ! ' 
I  was  badly  hurt  in  other  ways,  and  of  course  it 
was  some  time  before  they  got  me  on  an  ambulance. 
They  started  for  Harper's  Ferry,  but  I  couldn't  stand 
it,  so  what  should  they  do  but  leave  me  at  a  regu- 
lar secesh  house — a  big  stone  mansion  beside  the 
road  !  Well,  they  took  me  into  the  attic,  and  laid 
me  on  some  boards,  and  set  a  boy  to  watching  me. 
I'd  have  died  there,  sure,  but  one  day  a  lady,  a 
friend  of  that  family,  happened  to  find  out  about 
me,  and  she  sent  a  straw  bed  and  four  negroes  to  lift 
me  on  to  it.  Then  she  drove  four  miles  for  a  doctor 
— didn't  dare  send  any  body — and  when  I  got  a  lit- 
tle better  she  had  me  moved  to  her  home,  and  took 
care  of  me  till  I  got  well." 

"  There's  one  Christian  woman  down  South,  I 
know,"  said  Abram,  warmly. 

"  O,  there's  lots  of  them,  I  dare  say,"  continued 
Austin,  "  only  the  war  has  rather  upset  the  '  golden 
rule  '  part  of  their  religion.  But  I'll  never  forget 
that  woman;  no,  sir!  May  be  I  was  there  a  month, 
and  then  I  started  for  Washington.  And  now  the 
strangest  part  of  the  whole  story  happened.  You 
see  I  went  to  a  hospital  one  day  to  see  some  of  the 
boys  I  knew,  and  while  I  was  wandering  through 
one  of  the   wards  with  the  surgeon  I   heard  some- 


RUBY'S  HERO.  273 

body  speak  my  name ;  and  there,  out  in  the  corner, 
was  a  regular  scarecrow  of  a  fellow  waving  his  hand 
for  me  to  come.  I  went,  and  there  was  Charlie 
Williams,  one  of  the  boys  that  used  to  be  in  Web- 
ber's with  me !  He  got  hold  of  me  with  his  bony 
hands,  and  says  he,  '  We  stole  that  money,  Dick 
and  I,  and  when  Webber  caught  us  we  swore  it  on 
to  you  because  you'd  got  away,  and  we  thought  he 
couldn't  get  you.'  Then  he  went  on  to  tell  how 
Dick  was  killed  in  battle,  and  how  he'd  got  to  die, 
and  hoped  I'd  forgive  him,  and  all  that.  Of  course  I 
had  to.  I  wouldn't  have  known  what  he  meant  if  I 
had  not  received  your  letter.  But  I  wanted  some 
proof,  so  I  wrote  out  what  he  had  said,  and  he  had 
just  strength  enough  to  sign  it,  and  the  nurse  signed 
it  too." 

"  Thank  the  Lord  !  "  ejaculated  Abram. 

"  Perhaps  we  might  as  well,"  said  Austin,  soberly, 
"  though  I  hadn't  looked  at  it  in  that  light.  But  of 
course  I  couldn't  come  home  then,  until  I'd  seen  L. 
Webber  &  Co. ;  so  I  went  to  Boston  and  just  faced 
the  old  gentleman,  and  he  forked  over  that  thou- 
sand dollars  with  interest  for  two  years  at  ten  per 
cent.  Yes,  sir  !  And  when  I  told  him  I  though  the'd 
been  driving  a  pretty  sharp  bargain,  taking  a  thou- 
sand dollars,  when  the  boys  stole  only  a  few  hun- 
dred, he  owned  right  up  that  he  might  have,  since 
he  never  knew  just  how  much  they  took!  But  he 
begged  pardon  and  smoothed  it  over  as  well  as  he 
could,  and  of  course  there  was  nothing  more  to  be 
done.  So  then  I  went  to  Uncle  Austin's,  and  they 
made  quite  an  ado  over  me.  I'd  sent  him  my  pay 
at  different  times,  and  he  has  it  invested  for  me,  so 
18 


274  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

I'm  not  quite  as  badly  off  as  that  other  prodigal 
son,  though  I've  done  enough  to  make  my  elder 
brother  despise  me,  I  suppose." 

"  No,"  said  Abram,  with  a  smile  ;  "  I  think  you've 
done  what  you  could  to  set  matters  right  ;  but — " 

"  I  think  I  know  what  you  mean.  There  are 
other  things,"  interrupted  Austin. 

"  Yes,  there  are  other  things,"  said  Abram,  "  but 
we  wont  speak  of  them,  for  it  is  daybreak  now,  and 
we're  almost  home.  Father's  got  the  kitchen  fire 
started,  and  I  dare  say  he's  just  ready  to  crawl  out 
to  the  barn  to  see  if  the  horses  and  cattle  have  rested 
well.  Yes,  there  he  comes  !  Now,  Austin,  be  a 
little  cautious;  it's  a  big  surprise,  you  know." 

But  Austin  had  never  been  famous  for  caution, 
and,  swinging  his  cap  above  his  head,  he  sprang 
toward  the  door  with  a  "  Good-morning,  father !" 
and  just  then  the  first  sunshine  struck  across  the 
valley  and  rested  upon  the  old  farm-house. 

The  story  of  Austin  Steele's  return  spread  like 
wild-fire,  and  with  it  went  the  story  of  Abram's  sac- 
rifice. Gilead  opened  its  eyes  and  drew  in  its 
under-lip  as  it  remembered  its  "  cold  shoulders," 
hard  speeches,  and  unjust  accusations  ;  but  if  you 
imagine  that  it  hastened  to  beg  his  pardon  you  do 
•not  yet  understand  human  nature.  Instead  it  as- 
sumed a  jovial  expression  and  said:  "Glad  you've 
come  out  top  o'  the  heap,  Abram  ;  we  always  thought 
you  would  !  " 

This  was  Gilead  in  the  abstract ;  but  there  were  a 
goodly  number  who  felt  more  than  a  common  inter- 
est, and  who  could  appreciate  something  of  the 
struggle  he  had  passed  through.     These  gave  him  so 


RUBY'S  HERO.  275 

much  of  admiration  and  sympathy  as  to  be  almost 
embarrassing.  Hiel  Saunders  was  among  the  first 
to  rejoice,  as  Abram  sought  him  immediately,  eager 
to  cancel  the  debt  still  remaining  and  to  explain 
every  thing  to  the  honest  fellow  who  had  served 
him  so  faithfully. 

"  Wal,  now,  "  said  he,  leaning  against  the  fence, 
his  face  glowing  with  satisfaction,  "  I  couldn't  've 
planned  it  neater,  not  if  I'd  tried.  To  have  Austin 
come  back  V  tell  the  story  himself,  'n'  bring  the 
money!  Why,  Abram,  he'd  ought  to  serve  you 
night  and  day.  I  guess  folks  wont  say  '  coward  '  no 
more  behind  your  back.  Brutus  'n' Caesar  'n' Gen- 
eral Grant  warn't  no  braver;"  and  Hiel  laughed 
and  grimaced,  and  finally  laid  his  "  greenbacks  "  on 
a  fence-post  while  he  shook  Abram 's  hand.  As 
soon  as  the  latter  was  out  of  sight  again  Hiel  hung 
up  his  hoe  and  started  for  the  house,  eager  to  tell 
the  good  news.  Ruby  had  been  helping  Martha 
with  the  crab-apple  jelly  that  forenoon,  and  to  find 
her  in  the  kitchen  was  a  great  satisfaction  to  our 
friend.  He  was  in  a  state  of  exaltation,  almost 
equal  to  singing  psalms  or  prophesying. 

"  A  hero's  come  to  light,  born  an'  brought  up 
amongst  the  Green  Mountains.  Brutus  V  Caesar 
'n'  General  Grant  aint  no  braver.  And  them  that's 
been  waggin'  the  head  wont  do  so  no  longer,  fer 
old  soldiers  themselves  '11  turn  out  fer  him.  Hoo- 
ray !  "  and  Hiel  caught  off  his  old  straw  hat  and 
threw  it  high  in  the  air. 

"For  pity's  sake  stand  out  o'  my  way,"  said 
Martha,  somewhat  sharply.  "  I  b'lieve  you've  lost 
your  mind." 


276  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"Who  is  it  that  is  such  a  hero,  Hid?"  asked 
Ruby,  who  was  now  rubbing  apple-stains  from  her 
fingers. 

"It's  Abram  ;"  and  Hiel  crossed  his  elbows  on 
the  window-sill  and  looked  at  her  innocently.  "  You 
see  Austin's  got  home  ;  stayed  to  the  tavern  last 
night  V  walked  over  early  this  mornin',  'n'  now  the 
whole  story's  come  out.  A  man  down  to  Boston 
thought  as  how  he'd  stole  some  money;  so  after  he 
goes  to  war  the  man  writes  to  Abram  a  real  threaten- 
in'  letter  'n'  calls  fer  a  thousan '  dollars.  Then  Abram, 
he  gives  up  goin'  to  war,  gives  up — wal,  sev'ral  other 
things  too  numerous  to  mention  " — with  a  sidelong 
glance  at  Ruby — "  keeps  the  story  'n'  disgrace  all 
to  himself,  and  stays  to  home  'n'  bears  the  sneers  o' 
folks  that  aint  fit  to  clean  his  boots,  'n'  just  turns  to 
'n'  raises  that  money,  dollar  by  dollar.  See  ?  Why 
he's  bigger  'n'  braver  'n  any  soldier  we  sent  out 
from  Gilead.  They  don't  make  uniforms  big  enough 
for  such  a  man,  in  my  opinion  ;  "  and  Hiel  smote 
the  window-sill  with  an  emphatic  fist. 

"  Don't  you  dare  to  joggle  my  jelly-tumblers  !  " 
cried  Martha,  and  then,  sinking  into  a  chair,  she 
returned  to  the  subject-.  "  Did  you  ever  !  And 
I'm  glad  of  it.  You'll  bear  me  witness,  Hiel,  that 
I  never  yielded  that  he  stayed  at  home  because  he 
was  afraid  o'  gunpowder." 

Ruby  did  not  speak.  A  sudden  sensation  of 
faintncss  swept  over  her  ;  the  warm  kitchen,  with 
its  odor  of  jelly,  became  unbearable,  and  without 
a  word  of  explanation  she  disappeared. 

"  There,  Hiel,  now  you've  hit  Ruby,  and  I  s'pose 
you're  happy,"  said  Martha. 


RUBY'S  HERO.  277 

"  No,  I  aint ;  "  and  Hiel  shook  his  head  soberly. 
"  I  didn't  know  she'd  feel  it.  Seems  to  me  women 
're  queer  about  such  things.  She  don't  want  two 
beaus,  I  sh'd  hope.  Where's  that  little  lieutenant? 
But  I  see  my  room's  better  'n  my  company." 

Hiel  had  cause  for  this  suspicion,  as  Martha  had 
begun  to  hum  "  The  Last  Rose  of  Summer." 

For  the  first  time  in  her  life  Ruby  felt  that  she 
had  made  a  fatal  mistake  ;  and  as  she  locked  her 
door  and  sank  upon  her  knees  by  the  window  she 
looked  quite  wretched  enough  to  suit  the  most  ex- 
acting lover  ;  for  the  shadows  had  suddenly  been 
dispelled,  and  to  Ruby's  own  surprise  she  found 
that  Abram  was  still  enshrined  in  her  heart  of 
hearts.  She  also  saw  clearly,  what  she  would  not 
admit  before,  that  she  had  never  fully  deceived  her- 
self with  the  theory  that  she  neither  respected  nor 
loved  him.  Respect  !  She  felt  that  this  was  a  cold 
word  to  express  the  sentiment  which  responded  to 
the  sudden  revelation  of  his  excellence.  Once  con- 
vince a  woman  that  a  man  is  morally  heroic,  that 
he  has  suffered  in  silence  from  some  high  and  wor- 
thy motive,  and  she  is  almost  ready  to  worship  him. 
Being  created  with  this  tendency,  it  will  take  gen- 
erations to  uproot  it.  Hence  the  strength  of  this 
utilitarian  age  would  better  be  expended  in  evolving 
the  ideal  man  who  is  "  morally  heroic  "  than  in 
eradicating  this  tendency.  Ruby,  being  a  sensitive, 
high-minded  girl,  was  fully  capable  of  appreciating 
nobility  in  others  and  giving  to  it  her  homage  ; 
but,  mingled  with  her  love  and  admiration,  was  just 
now  the  thought  of  her  injustice  toward  Abram. 

"  What  a  fool  I've  been  !  "  she  sobbed.  "  I  wouldn't 


278  .  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

even  let  him  explain.  O,  he'll  never  wish  to  see  me 
again,  I'm  sure." 

But  with  every  ejaculation  and  tear-fall  Ruby  grew 
more  convinced  that  the  love  she  had  spurned  was 
of  the  kind  which  "  many  waters  cannot  quench." 
That  Abram  had  never  changed  she  fully  believed, 
but  there  was  the  barrier  between  them  which  she 
herself  had  raised,  but  which  she  dare  not  attempt 
to  destroy  ! 

At  tea  the  subject  she  dreaded  was  the  theme  of 
conversation.  Squire  Fletcher  had  met  Austin,  and 
was  delighted  with  the  tall,  soldierly  fellow. 

"  He's  got  to  be  a  fine  young  man,"  said  he,  ap- 
provingly. "  The  fact  is,  Gilead  is  turning  out  some 
young  folks  who  wont  need  to  take  off  their  hats  to 
any  body.  There's  Abram,  now  ;  it  aint  one  in  a 
thousand  who  could  have  borne  what  he  has  these 
two  years  past.  I'm  glad  that  thing's  cleared  up 
to  his  credit,  for  he's  bound  to  be  a  leading  man 
among  us.  They  tell  me  he's  been  writing  a  prize 
essay  on  farming  that's  making  quite  a  stir.  Per- 
haps he  was  kept  from  using  the  sword  that  he 
might  use  his  pen.  By  the  way,  I  guess  you  owe 
him  an  apology,  don't  you,  sis?" 

Ruby  turned  her  agitated  face  toward  her  father 
and  meekly  responded, 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  I  do,"  while  Mrs.  Fletcher  hastened 
to  say  : 

"  You  wouldn't  have  Ruby  do  any  thing  unlady- 
like, I'm  sure,  would  you,  father  ?  I  dare  say  he 
understands  it  was  all  a  mistake." 

"  Humph  !  I  presume  he  does;  but  that  may  not 
make  it  anv  easier  to  bear.     Fact  is,  I  never  could 


RUBY'S  HERO.  279 

see  any  thing  '  unladylike '  in  saying  you're  sorry 
if  you've  done  wrong." 

Ruby  thanked  her  father  with  a  smile  for  this 
comforting  bit  of  logic.  She  was  sure  now  that, 
however  crossing  it  might  be,  she  must  take  the  first 
step  toward  a  reconciliation. 

It  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  create  a  labyrinth 
at  this  point  through  whose  intricate  and  nearly 
interminable  ways  our  young  friends  should 
wander  in  their  search  for  a  "  sequel ;  "  but  some- 
times Love  walks  along  the  line  which  is  geo- 
metrically described  as  marking  the  "  shortest  dis- 
tance between  two  points." 

The  weather,  even,  was  propitious  to  a  speedy 
adjustment  of  misunderstandings,  for  October  held 
no  more  perfect  day  than  was  the  Sabbath  just  after 
Austin's  return.  Ruby's  dark-blue  silk  fitted  the 
day  admirably,  as  did  the  dainty  bonnet  which 
matched  it.  She  dressed  herself  with  unusual  care 
that  morning,  and  who  shall  inquire  as  to  her 
motives  ? 

It  was  a  kind  of  "  red-letter  day  "  in  Gilead,  for 
more  of  the  "  Guards  "  were  at  home  than  had  been 
before.  Lieutenant  Plumley,  David  Douglas,  and 
others  were  "  on  furlough,"  after  a  stay  in  a  Wash- 
ington hospital  ;  and  John  Henry  Hickey  was  out 
for  the  first  time,  his  thin,  sallow  face  beaming  with 
repressed  satisfaction.  There,  too,  was  Mrs.  Smith, 
in  her  deep  mourning,  with  Homer,  pale  and  emaci- 
ated still,  on  the  seat  beside  her,  while  Byron,  with 
a  look  of  responsibility  and  care-taking  which  made 
him  appear  like  a  little  old  man,  sat  on  the  front 
seat  and  guided  the  spiritless  old  horse. 


280  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Will  any  one  who  remembers  those  days  ever 
forget  how  the  boys  looked  in  their  uniforms — no 
longer  new  and  fresh — as  they  returned  to  their 
country  homes  ?  Can  you  not  see  the  jaunty  air 
with  which  they  doffed  their  "  soldier-caps  "  as  they 
entered  the  plain,  cool  vestibule  of  the  old  church  ? 
They  were  eager  to  see  familiar  faces,  and  the 
subdued  greetings  exchanged  just  outside  the  inner 
door  were  heartfelt.  As  they  walked  up  the  un- 
carpeted  aisles  they  knew  very  well  that  every  de- 
corous eye  was  upon  them,  that  every  loyal  heart 
was  paying  homage. 

Austin's  "empty  sleeve"  gave  him  a  claim  to 
universal  attention,  while  the  events  connected  with 
his  return  furnished  material  for  much  whispered 
conversation  during  the  "  nooning,"  when  old  ladies 
and  children  ate  cookies  and  crackers  and  young 
men  stood  upon  the  steps  quietly  exchanging  views, 
in  utter  subjugation  to  "  Sunday  clothes  "  and  the 
hallowing  influence  of  the  day. 

The  forenoon  sermon,  the  Sunday-school  session, 
and  the  afternoon  sermon  were  over  at  last,  and 
the  people  of  both  churches  were  dispersing,  when 
Ruby  returned  to  the  gallery  on  some  pretext, 
where  Abram  still  lingered.  He  had  been  very  dig- 
nified that  day  ;  for,  being  fully  aware  of  his  vindica- 
tion in  the  eyes  of  the  public,  he  unwittingly  repaid 
some  of  Ruby's  scorn  by  an  unusually  reserved  and 
preoccupied  manner.  But,  nevertheless,  she  re- 
turned and  stood  by  the  melodeon  as  she  had  stood 
on  that  other  Sunday  more  than  two  years  before. 
Did  she  remember?     Abram  wondered. 

"  Mr.  Steele — Abrarn — I   am  very  sorry  I    have 


RUBY'S  HERO.  281 

misjudged  you  so,"  she  said,  her  face  turned  away 
from  him. 

"  Miss  Fletcher — Ruby — so  am  I  !  "  he  replied,  a 
little  stiffly,  and  after  a  painful  pause. 

And  then,  with  an  embarrassed  laugh,  a  flushing 
face,  and  tear-filled  eyes,  Ruby  turned  toward  him. 

"  You  know  I  was  terribly  mistaken  !  "  she  fal- 
tered. 

The  transparent  frost-work  in  Abram's  eyes  im- 
mediately disappeared.  He  stepped  over  the  back 
of  the  seat  which  separated  them  and  grasped  her 
hand,  saying,  almost  fiercely, 

"  Ruby,  how  much  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  " 

"  I  mean  that  I  am  very  sorry  that  I  wronged 
you,  and  for  all  that  has  happened." 

This  was  not  what  Ruby  had  planned  to  say,  but 
as  she  covered  her  eyes  with  her  free  hand,  trying 
in  vain  to  control  herself,  Abram  seemed  perfectly 
satisfied.  Not  quite,  however;  he  had  one  more 
question  to  ask : 

"  Ruby,  are  you  engaged  to  that — lieutenant?" 

She  shook  her  head  promptly. 

And  then,  why,  then  the  reconciliation  took 
place,  particulars  of  which  the  faithful  historian  has 
never  received.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  as  they  left 
the  old  church  a  little  later  side  by  side,  as  they 
have  walked  ever  since,  she  said  : 

"  But  remember,  Abram,  I  haven't  taken  back 
what  I  once  said  to  you  ;  for  even  if  you  didn't 
go  to  war  I  have  got  my  hero  !  " 

"  And  remember,  Ruby,  that  though  I  didn't  go 
to  war  I  have  captured  my  rebel,"  returned  Abram, 
with  a  contented  smile. 


282  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

THANKSGIVING   AGAIN. 

THE  raiders  never  appeared  in  Gilead.  Whether 
sufficient  funds  had  been  elsewhere  secured 
to  answer  the  purposes  of  the  Confederacy,  or 
whether  the  military  bearing  of  frontier  towns 
struck  terror  to  their  hearts,  we  cannot  tell;  but  at 
any  rate  the  unscrupulous  desperadoes  retreated. 

Then  women  dared  once  more  to  linger  outside 
the  garden  gate  at  twilight,  and  in  time  forgot  to 
set  their  home-made  "  burglar-alarms,"  deftly  con- 
trived of  tinware  and  twine,  and  fastened  by  a  curi- 
ous mechanism  to  doors  and  windows.  But  al- 
though this  "  reign  of  terror  "  was  over  the  public 
mind  was  far  from  a  state  of  rest.  As  before 
stated,  the  presidential  election  was  approaching, 
and  while  corn  and  pumpkins  were  ripening  in  quiet 
fields  the  country  was  in  a  ferment.  The  best  and 
worst  elements  in  every  community  were  aroused. 
Public  meetings,  discussions,  disputes,  bonfires,  and 
newspaperial  bombs  absorbed  attention.  Soldiers, 
at  home  and  in  the  field,  were  interested  and  busy; 
for  the  Union  army  was  an  army  of  ideas,  whose 
opinions  as  well  as  bullets  were  devoted  to  the 
service  of  their  country.  But  at  length  the  struggle 
and  the  suspense  were  over,  and  the  nation  filled  its 
lungs  to  hurrah  for  Lincoln.      By  an  overwhelming 


THANKSGIVING  AGAIN.  2S3 

majority,  which  surprised  even  his  most  sanguine 
friends,  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term.  There 
were  ratification  meetings,  jubilees,  head-lines,  capi- 
tals— every  thing  that  could  emphasize  the  shout, 
"  Old  Abe  is  elected  !  "  which  rang  joyfully  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific.  Loyalty  to  and  confi- 
dence in  government  revived,  and  the  army,  with 
new  life  and  courage,  saw  victory  ahead.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that,  with  bountiful  harvests  to  crown  the 
year,  New  England  could  welcome  its  Thanksgiving 
day?  Not  that  they  forgot  the  awful  shadow  of 
war.  There  were  too  many  empty  chairs  and  too 
many  distant  graves  to  allow  it.  But  they  had 
learned  the  meaning  of  "  our  country  "  as  never 
before. 

A  musician  sits  down  to  a  small  instrument  and 
finds  it  too  .limited  for  the  complicated  music  he 
would  play.  The  highest  and  the  lowest  tones  find 
no  keys  to  speak  through.  Just  so  we  are  aware 
that  our  country  town  could  not  express  the  in- 
tensity of  city  life  nor  the  bitter  depths  of  battle- 
fields and  hospitals  ;  but  according  to  its  capacity  it 
responded  truly  to  the  varied  emotions  of  the  great 
conflict.  Pain  and  patriotism  were  the  same  every- 
where. So,  just  at  this  period,  we  need  not  refer 
to  statesmen  and  army  officers  to  find  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  prevailing  sentiment — although  Washing- 
ton was  overflowing  with  it — but  turn  to  Joe  Arm- 
strong's little  home  in  the   mountain  district. 

Joe  was  sitting  up.  The  parlor  had  been  made  as 
bright  as  possible,  which  was  very  bright  indeed,  in 
honor  of  the  event.  Vic  had  prepared  and  arranged 
quantities  of   brilliant   autumn-leaves    and    scarlet 


284  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

"  runners  "  when  they  were  at  their  best,  which 
glowed  upon  the  light-papered  walls  and  hung  in 
festoons  over  the  windows.  In  the  well-polished 
box-stove  a  jovial  fire  snapped  and  sparkled. 
There  was  a  warmth  and  snugness  in  the  atmos- 
phere which  soothed  poor  Joe  like  a  loving  hand 
as  he  sat  with  pillows  at  his  back  and  a  blanket 
over  his  shoulders,  where  he  could  watch  his  little 
wife  as  she  bustled  about  in  the  kitchen,  "getting 
ready  for  Thanksgiving,"  which  anniversary  came  on 
the  morrow. 

"Vic  !"  called  Joe. 

In  an  instant  she  was  at  his  side. 

"You  say  they're  very  sure  that  old  Abs'e 
elected  ? " 

"  Yes,  indeed  ;  the  papers  say  that  the  returns 
're  all  in,  and  it's  all  right." 

"  O,  I'd  like  to  go  back  now  and  help  finish  up  the 
war  !  "  he  sighed. 

"  You  look  like  it,  Joe,  don't  you  ?  I  think  you'd 
better  wait  till  you  get  your  bones  fairly  covered. 
Why,  you  couldn't  whip  the  baby,  and  what  would 
you  do  with  a  rebel  ?  "  laughed  Vic. 

"  I  know,  but  I'm  going  to  begin  to  eat  like 
other  folks  to-morrow.  I've  lived  on  spoon  victuals 
long  enough,"  said  Joe. 

Vic  patted  his  head  tenderly.  "  So  you  shall. 
I'm  going  to  have  two  of  my  own  white-breasted 
chicks  killed  to-night,  for  father  and  the  boys  are 
coming  to  dinner,  and  you  shall  have  the  broth  and 
a  little  meat  and  a  bit  of  my  nice  bread  and  a  tiny, 
tiny  piece  of  pie  !  " 

Joe  looked  admiringly  at  the  trim  figure  beside 


THANKSGIVING  AGAIN.  285 

him.  "  Vic,  I've  been  wanting  to  ask  about  it. 
Every  thing  is  so  nice  and  bright,  and  the  house 
fixed  up,  and  good  things  to  eat.  Do  you  really 
make  the  bread  and  stuff  that  smells  so  good  when 
you're  baking?  " 

Vic  nodded,  while  her  face  dimpled  with  hap- 
piness. 

"  What  a  wonderful  woman  you  are  !  "  exclaimed 
Joe. 

She  placed  her  hand  over  his  mouth.  "  Don't 
you  say  so,  fcr  I'm  not  wonderful  at  all.  I'm  just 
an  ignoramus  about  most  things,  but  I'm  a  little 
better  than  I  used  to  be,  Joe." 

Holding  her  hand  in  his  own,  he  said :  "  I've 
been  scared  to  ask,  for  fear  't  wouldn't  be  true ;  but 
now  tell  me  all  about  it." 

"  'Tvvas  trying  to  catch  up  to  you,  Joe,  and  it's 
been  awful  hard,"  she  replied  ;  and  then,  half  laugh- 
ing, half  crying,  she  told  the  story  of  her  struggle 
with  the  old  habits,  her  trials  and  her  triumphs. 
He  listened  with  an  appreciation  which  more  than 
repaid  for  the  long  waiting. 

"  My  old  Vic  was  too  good  for  me,"  said  Joe, 
humbly,  "but  the  new  one's  ahead!  You'd  make 
a  good  soldier,  Vic.  Dear  me !  what  have  I  done 
to  deserve  such  blessin's?  I  don't  believe  there's  a 
man  in  the  United  States  that's  got  more  to  be 
thankful  for  than  I  have.  I'm  alive,  that's  one! 
Abraham  Lincoln's  elected,  that's  two !  I've  got 
the  best  wife  in  the  world,  that's  three !  And  the 
smartest  baby" — as  little  Nellie  came  trotting  in — - 
"that's  four!  and  lots  of  other  things  too  numer- 
ous to  mention." 


286  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Vic  kissed  him  gently  on  the  forehead  and  hurried 
into  the  kitchen,  where  savory  odors  called  for  at- 
tention, and  Joe  leaned  back  and  tried  to  sing, 
"  Praise  God,  from  whom  all  blessings  flow  !  " 

Joe's  hands  were  still  lean  and  yellow,  his  face 
wore  shadows  and  lines  that  had  no  right  to  be 
there,  his  clothes  hung  upon  him  in  absurd  folds, 
and  behind  him  was  the  memory  of  Andersonville ; 
but  he  was  loyal  to  the  heart's  core,  and,  having 
given  his  strength  to  his  country,  he  didn't  know 
any  better  than  to  sing  the  Doxology !  And  in 
spite  of  all  his  "  blessin's  "  he  was  quite  ready  to 
go  and  "  help  finish  up,"  had  it  been  possible. 

Preparations  for  a  family  reunion  at  Mr.  Steele's 
had  culminated  that  afternoon  in  the  arrival  of 
Uncle  Austin  and  Aunt  Elizabeth  from  Boston. 
Esther  and  Mary  were  again  at  home  also,  after  a 
delightful  term  at  Hope  Seminary,  grateful  for  their 
brother's  return,  proud  of  his  empty  sleeve,  but 
doubly  grateful  and  proud  over  Abram's  vindication. 

"  How  blind  we  were  not  to  see  that  he  must  be 
all  right  from  the  beginning!"  said  Esther. 

"  Ah,  but  he  might  have  told  us  !"  said  Maiy. 

"  He  done  right,"  interrupted  their  father,  "  and 
I  shall  always  bless  him  for  savin'  us  from  the  dis- 
grace we'd  have  had  to  feel  for  two  long  years.  My 
son  " — and  he  turned  toward  the  desk — "  I  found  a 
Bible  text  for  you  this  mornin':  '  Fear  not,  Abram,  I 
am  thy  shield  and  thy  exceeding  great  reward.'  If 
I  had  the  Thanksgivin'  sermon  to  preach  to-morrow 
I  should  enlarge  on  it."  There  was  a  hearty  laugh' 
over  that  idea,  but  the  text  was  not  forgotten. 

In  the  pantry,  during  the  dish-washing  session, 


THANKSGIVING  AGAIN.  287 

Esther  and  Mary  exchanged  opinions,  with  closed 
doors,  as  they  had  done  so  many  times  before,  and 
fully  decided  that  while  they  might  forgive  every 
one  else  who  had  wronged  Abram  they  could  never, 
never  forgive  Ruby  Fletcher. 

"  She's  been  too  cold  and  proud,"  said  Esther. 

"  Too  impudent,  I  say,"  added  Mary.  "And  now 
we  can  hold  our  heads  as  high  as  she  can,  and  I 
shall  do  it,  too." 

In  the  midst  of  this  unrelenting  dissection  of 
poor  Ruby  Abram  tapped  at  the  door,  came  in,  and 
seated  himself  on  the  meal-chest  as  of  yore.  "  It 
seems  good  to  have  you  home  again,  girls,"  said  he, 
"but  we  mustn't  keep  you  here,  I  suppose.  Now 
that  all  the  money  we  raked  together  has  come  back 
again  there  isn't  any  reason  why  you  shouldn't 
have  part  of  it.  I  would  rather  have  it  go  toward 
your  education  than  in  any  other  way.  It  doesn't 
look  like  ordinary  money  to  me.  But  that  wasn't 
exactly  what  I  came  in  to  say.  We  are  all  invited 
to  spend  to-morrow  evening  at  Ruby's.  Would  you 
like  to  go  ?  " 

There  was  an  ominous  silence  for  a  moment,  and 
then  Esther  asked  in  a  low  tone,  "  Have  you  for- 
given her,  Abram  ?  " 

He   responded  with   a  joyous   laugh,  "Forgiven' 
her  !  I  rather  think  I  have.     O,  yes  ;  she  was  '  true 
blue,'  but  she  has  suffered  too." 

"  Well,  Abram,"  said  Maiy,  in  her  impulsive  way, 
"  I've  said  a  hundred  times  to-day  that  you're  a 
hero;  and  now  I  think  you're  a  saint  !  " 

At  that  self-same  hour  Martha  Thompson  looked 
into  the  sitting-room  at  the  squire's,  where  sat  Mrs. 


288  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Fletcher,  Miss  Hancock,  and  Ruby,  busily  complet- 
ing a  dress. 

"  Any  body  'd  know  'twas  Thanksgivin'  to-morrow 
just  to  look  into  our  buttery,"  said  she. 

"Come  in,  Martha,"  called  Mrs.  Fletcher,  and 
"  Come  in  "  echoed  the  others. 

"  Tell  us  what  you've  been  doing." 

"Well" — and  Martha,  nothing  loath,  took  a  seat 
by  the  door — "  I've  made  bread  'nd  nut-cakes;  pump- 
kin-pies an'  apple-pies  an'  mince-pies  ;  raisin-cake,  an' 
stri-ped  cake  an'  frosted  cake  ;  got  my  turkey  ready 
for  the  oven  an'  cleaned  up  my  kitchen.  Yes,  I  must 
say  I've  done  atol'able  day's  work,  an'  I'm  real  tired." 

"  You  poor,  dear  soul !  "  said  Mrs.  Fletcher,  "  I'm 
afraid  we  put  too  much  upon  you,  having  Hiel's 
wedding  here  in  addition  to  the  big  dinner.  You 
couldn't  have  done  more  for  him  if  he'd  been  your 
own  brother.  I  suppose  you'll  miss  him  a  good 
deal  when  he  finally  goes." 

A  sniff  of  strong  ammonia  could  not  have  re- 
vived Martha's  drooping  spirits  more  effectually. 

"  Miss  him  !  "  she  repeated,  "  don't  worry  about 
my  missin'  that  gawming*  creature.  I  shall  be  able 
to  keep  things  decently  clean  after  he's  out  o'  the 
way,  I  sh'd  hope.  But  how  he's  goin'  to  get  along 
with  Mis'  Follinsbee's  cookin'  I  can't  imagine.  A 
man  that  likes  good  victuals  's  well  's  Hiel  does — 
Its  none  o'  my  business,  though."  A  short  pause, 
and  then  with  a  dry  laugh  she  continued  :  "What 
taste  for  a  wcddin'  dress  !  Must  seem  queer  to  take 
off  weeds  and  put  on  purple  plaid;  don't  you  think 
so,  Miss  Hancock?" 

*  A  word  often  heard  in  the  northern  New  England  States. 


THANKSGIVING  AGAIN.  2S9 

"  O,  I  don't  know !  Sophronia  Follinsbee  never 
has  had  much  to  spend  in  dress,  and  perhaps  she's 
a  little  puzzled  to  know  just  what  is  suitable.  But 
I'm  glad  to  see  her  enjoy  herself  after  eating  the 
bitter  bread  of  poverty  all  her  days  ;  and  if  she 
wants  a  lemon-colored  silk  and  a  pea-green  shawl 
I  wont  object,  though  I  don't  believe  she  will.  She 
reminds  me  of  one  of  these  late-blooming  asters. 
You  think  they're  all  dead  after  frost  comes,  and 
then  you'll  see  a  bright  purple  one,  perhaps,  blossom- 
ing out  as  gay  as  you  please.  Never  had  a  chance 
to  blossom  before  ;  that's  the  reason." 

Martha's  face  softened  a  little,  but  she  gave  a 
sniff  of  disapproval  as  she  continued  : 

"  It  takes  you  to  see  the  good  there  is  in  folks, 
Miss  Hancock.  If  I  die  before  you  do  I  want  you 
to  promise  here  an'  now  that  you'll  write  what's  put 
in  the  paper  about  me." 

"  I  will,  Martha,"  replied  Miss  Hancock,  smil- 
ingly, "  for  you  and  I  are  standing  witnesses  that 
women  can  be  useful  and  happy  even  if  they  don't 
get  married." 

"  We  couldn't  spare  Martha  to  be  married,  even 
if  she  wanted  us  to,"  said  Ruby. 

"H'm!  don't  worry!  I'm  glad  enough  that  I'm 
not  the  one  to  wear  that  purple  dress  to-morrow." 

They  laughed,  and  shook  out  the  neat  wedding- 
dress,  scrutinizing  and  criticising  their  work  as 
women  will,  but  Martha  retreated  to  the  kitchen. 

"  Strange  folks  '11  be  so  pleased  over  a  weddin'," 

said  she  to  herself  as  she  groped  her  way  to  the 

match-safe.      "  There's  Ruby,   as  chirk  's  can  be, 

tellin'  in  her  face  every  minute  that  she's  made  up 
19 


290  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

with  Abram.  Next  thing  she'll  be  goin'  ofif.  But  I 
think  it's  a  solemn  subject ;  "  and  Martha  placed  her 
hand  over  that  strange  organ  called  the  heart  with 
a  half  groan. 

If  every  thing  did  not  occur  on  the  following  day 
just  as  it  was  planned  it  was  not  the  fault  of  the 
weather.  Blue  sky,  crisp  cold  air,  and  just  snow 
enough  for  "good  slippin',''  as  the  farmers  said, 
made  up  a  typical  Thanksgiving  day. 

Hiel  was  married  after  the  church  service,  and 
every  one  who  witnessed  the  ceremony,  even  Mar- 
tha, agreed  that  "  Mrs.  Hiel  "  looked  "  remarkably 
pretty." 

And  the  dinners  were  eaten.  This  was  only  a 
repetition  of  former  gastronomical  feats,  but  no  less 
surprising  on  that  account. 

And  in  the  evening  Ruby  had  her  young  friends 
gathered  in  the  big  parlor,  after  the  manner  of  a 
modern  reunion.  Every  returned  soldier  who  was 
able  to  leave  his  own  fireside  was  present.  Some 
were  pale  and  weak,  several  were  crippled,  and  a 
few  others  were  on  the  eve  of  a  return  to  their 
regiment.  But  for  that  one  evening  they  sang  the 
grand  war  songs  and  hymns  that  held  memories  of 
other  days  and  other  voices,  told  stories  comical 
and  pitiful,  and  feasted  on  dainties  prepared  by 
bountiful  hands. 

And  Abram  once  more  sang  with  Ruby.  The 
seemingly  impossible  had  come  to  pass,  and  no  one 
rejoiced  in  this  token  of  "  love's  justice"  more  than 
Austin,  who  stood  beside  the  piano,  quietly  observ- 
ant. Esther  and  Mary  looked  on  also,  but  with 
limited  approval,  until,  overborne  by  Ruby's  sweet 


THANKSGIVING  AGAIN.  291 

humility,  they  silently  "  grounded  their  arms  "  and 
yielded  to  the  inevitable.  And  Esther  was  gener- 
ous enough  to  rejoice  in  her  brother's  happiness  and 
self-forgetful  enough  to  try  to  join  in  the  songs, 
even  while  her  thoughts  wandered  away  to  a  lonely 
grave  on  a  southern  battle-field  and  her  heart  cried 
out  for  one  who  could  never  return. 


292  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SWORDS  INTO  PLOWSHARES. 

AS  has  been  already  stated,  the  re-election  of 
Lincoln  was  a  source  of  encouragement  and 
strength  all  through  the  North.  And  this  was  in- 
creased by  his  official  acts,  commencing  with  his 
"  Message,"  issued  early  in  December.  It  is  proba- 
ble that  more  people  perused  this  document  than 
had  ever  before  attempted  a  similar  task.  Mr.  Lin- 
coln had  one  rare  gift :  he  was  able  to  make  him- 
self understood  ;  hence  the  "  common  people  "  found 
no  ambiguity  in  his  terse  sentences.  As  an  exam- 
ple of  this  quality  we  copy  here  the  closing  section, 
which  hints  of  real  independence  and  unselfish- 
ness: 

"  As  to  slavery,  I  repeat  the  declaration  made  a 
year  ago,  and  that  while  I  remain  in  my  present 
position  I  shall  not  attempt  to  retract  or  modify 
the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  nor  shall  I  return  to 
slavery  any  person  who  is  free  by  the  terms  of  that 
proclamation  or  by  any  of  the  acts  of  Congress.  If 
the  people  should,  by  whatever  mode  or  means, 
make  it  an  executive  duty  to  re-enslave  such  per- 
sons, another,  not  I,  must  be  their  instrument  to 
perform  it.  In  stating  a  single  condition  of  peace 
I  mean  simply  to  say  that  the  war  will  cease  on 


S  WORDS  INTO  PL O  WSHA RES.  293 

the  part  of  the  government  whenever  it  shall  have 
ceased  on  the  part  of  those  who  began  it. 

"  Abraham  Lincoln." 

The  nation  set  its  seal  to  these  sentiments  when, 
the  following  month,  slavery  was  abolished  by  law 
through  the  adoption  of  the  famous  "  Thirteenth 
Amendment." 

Another  omen  of  good  was  the  great  confidence 
felt  in  General  U.  S.  Grant  as  a  military  leader. 
For  more  than  a  year,  ever  since  the  surrender  of 
Vicksburg,  in  fact,  he  had  been  known  all  through 
the  North  as  "  Unconditional  Surrender  Grant." 
And  the  people,  longing  for  victory  and  peace,  built 
their  hopes  upon  him.  Throughout  the  winter  a 
portion  of  the  Union  army  was  kept  busy  "  peg- 
ging away  "  in  the  South,  and  to  them  it  became 
more  and  more  apparent  that  the  "  Confederacy  " 
was  nearly  exhausted.  Men  and  money  were  lack- 
ing. To  keep  their  ranks  filled  they  were  obliged 
to  conscript  boys  as  young  as  fourteen  and  men  as 
old  as  sixty — "  robbing  both  the  cradle  and  the 
grave,"  as  General  Butler  said.  Their  resources 
were  pitifully  meager,  and  yet,  with  a  courage  born 
of  desperation,  they  continued  to  fight,  and  men 
dared  not  say  when  the  war  would  end.  It  was 
perfectly  natural,  then,  for  Abram  to  prepare  again 
for  enlisting  and  talk  confidently  of  the  "  spring 
campaign."  But  the  recruits  with  whom  he  in- 
tended to  start  on  a  day's  notice  were  never  called 
for. 

One  victory  followed  another  through  the  winter, 
and  at  length  came  the  memorable  April  of  '65. 


294  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

Sheridan's  victory  at  Five  Forks  occurred  on  the 
first  day  of  the  month,  the  grand  assault  on  Peters- 
burg the  second,  the  occupation  of  Richmond  on 
the  third  ;  Sheridan  routed  Lee's  forces  on  the 
sixth,  and  on  the  ninth  Lee  surrendered  to  Grant ! 

The  conquest  of  Richmond  was  followed  by  such 
rejoicing  as  can  hardly  be  described.  The  largest 
type  and  blackest  ink  of  the  Standard  proclaimed 
"  Richmond  Ours  !  After  Nearly  Four  Years  of 
Terrible  Fighting  the  War  is  Virtually  Over.  Now 
4  Glory  to  God  in  the  Highest,  and  on  Earth  Peace, 
Good-will  toward  Men  ! '  " 

Enthusiasm  ran  wild,  and  the  eager  hearts  in  dis- 
tant country  towns  like  Gilead  could  hardly  wait  for 
the  news  which  came  singing  over  the  wires  and 
then  found  its  way  more  slowly  to  the  little  post- 
office,  thronged  every  evening  to  its  utmost  ca- 
pacity. 

Our  soldier-boys  were  always  ready  to  swing  their 
caps  and  hurrah,  nor  were  they  ashamed  when  tears 
of  joy  rolled  down  their  cheeks  as  the  news  of  final 
victory  was  fully  confirmed. 

But  one  evening  an  unusually  large  crowd  col- 
lected, drawn  together  by  a  strange  rumor.  Captain 
John  Bartlett,  the  brave  leader  of  the  '  Guards,' 
long  mourned  as  dead,  was  coming  home!  His 
wife,  who  had  never  given  him  up,  and  who  had 
persistently  refused  to  wear  crape,  had  been  living 
with  his  widowed  mother  for  a  year  in  a  little  cot- 
tage near  Judge  Plumley's.  Just  what  news  she 
had  received  was  not  generally  known,  but  the 
crowd  was  willing  to  wait  "  till  the  stage  came  in  " 
to  test  the  rumor  for  itself.     And  at  length  the  old 


SWORDS  INTO  PLOWSHARES.  295 

yellow  stage,  well  splashed  with  mud  from  the  four 
miles'  drive,  came  whirling  into  the  village.  The 
red-faced,  jolly  driver  wore  an  assuring  smile  as  he 
drew  his  steaming  horses  up  with  even  more  than 
the  usual  flourish  and  prepared  to  throw  the  mail- 
bags  out.  Then  the  curtain  of  the  stage  door  was 
lifted  and  a  cheer  from  the  crowd  greeted  the  dark, 
worn  face  that  smiled  out  upon  them.  It  was  surely 
he,  their  own  young  captain,  but  how  changed  !  A 
few  of  the  boys  who  had  gone  out  with  him  were 
there,  and  they  clambered  upon  the  steps  and  wheels 
to  grasp  his  outstretched  hand,  asking  question 
after  question,  until  he  said  : 

"  Bless  your  hearts,  boys,  let  me  see  my  wife  and 
mother  to-night,  and  then  I'll  talk  with  you  a 
week ! " 

They  fell  back  then,  hurrahing  again,  as  he  was 
borne  on  to  the  open  door  and  the  waiting  hearts 
of  "  home,  sweet  home." 

Captain  Bartlett's  experience  proved  to  have  been 
remarkable  even  in  those  eventful  days.  He  had 
been  taken  prisoner,  with  many  of  his  men,  the  pre- 
vious June,  was  conveyed  with  them  to  Anderson- 
ville,  from  whence  he,  with  two  others,  escaped  by 
tunneling.  Recapture  followed  and  imprisonment 
in  a  still  viler  "  stockade."  Preferring  death  by 
bullets  or  blood-hounds  to  starvation,  he  again  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping,  and,  after  almost  incredible  suf- 
fering, in  reaching  a  town  in  North  Carolina.  From 
that  point  he  traveled  about  two  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five miles,  through  swamps  and  by-ways,  over 
mountains  and  rivers,  until,  about  the  middle  of 
March,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Union  lines  in 


296  THE  G I  LEAD  GUARDS. 

Tennessee.  During  all  this  time  the  negroes  were 
his  true  and  trusted  friends.  They  never  denied 
him  food,  shelter,  nor  guidance,  and  never  betrayed 
his  confidence.  On  one  occasion,  when  surrounded 
by  rebel  picket-lines,  three  women  took  him  over  a 
mountain  at  their  own  peril,  and  so  brought  him 
into  a  safer  route. 

But  the  nation's  joy  over  victories  won  during 
the  first  two  weeks  of  that  memorable  April  was 
turned  into  mourning  when,  on  the  night  of  the 
fourteenth,  Lincoln  was  assassinated  !  The  terrible 
news  flashed  all  over  the  land,  and  it  was  received 
with  a  wail  of  sorrow  that  must  have  reached  heaven 
itself.  Every  thing  else  was  forgotten  for  the  time 
in  the  overwhelming,  irrepressible  sorrow. 

"Don't  speak  to  me!"  groaned  Captain  Bart- 
lett,  as  he  sat  with  head  bowed  upon  his  folded 
arms;  "don't  speak  to  me!  I  feel  as  if  I  hadn't 
any  right  to  live  when  such  a  man  dies  !  " 

And,  selfish  as  human  nature  is,  there  was  many 
another  man  who  would  have  been  willing  to  die 
that  day  if  by  so  doing  he  could  have  given  life  to 
the  martyred  President.  Cold  history  can  convey 
no  idea  of  the  universal  mourning  of  that  day,  for 
history  seldom  dips  its  pen  in  sentiment. 

In  the  school  known  as  "  Hope  Seminary"  in  these 
pages  there  were  three  hundred  pupils.  Among 
them  were  young  men  who  had  enlisted  from  there, 
served  their  time  in  the  army,  and  returned — not 
all,  alas ! — to  finish  their  preparation  for  college. 
When  the  news  reached  the  little  village  where  the 
school  was  located  the  students  were  scattered  here 
and  there,  enjoying  their  Saturday  holiday. 


SWORDS  INTO  PLOWSHARES.  297 

On  a  hill  back  of  the  school  was  a  merry  little 
party  gathering  fragrant  trailing  arbutus,  first  wild 
flower  of  the  spring.  A  student  suddenly  ap- 
proached from  the  town,  hurrying  up  from  rock  to 
rock  in  breathless  haste.     Coming  near  he  gasped  : 

"  Lincoln  is  dead !  He  was  shot  last  night  at  a 
theater  in  Washington  !  " 

"  Impossible  !  "  cried  the  young  men  of  the  party, 
several  of  whom  were  returned  soldiers.  The  report 
was  confirmed,  and  they  turned  away  one  by  one, 
weeping  as  for  a  near  and  dear  friend  ! 

No  words  seemed  sufficient  to  express  their  feel- 
ings, and  the  entire  party  descended  the  hill  in 
silence,  bearing  with  them  the  beautiful  blossoms  as 
though  for  his  burial.  One,  at  least,  of  that  group 
rarely  inhales  the  fragrance  of  the  arbutus  without 
vividly  recalling  the  shock  of  that  tragic  event  and 
the  sense  of  bereavement  which  followed  it. 

But  who  can  explain  just  why  men,  women,  and 
children  wept  together  over  Lincoln's  death?  It 
was  not  simply  because  he  was  President.  Beyond 
this  was  a  genuine  love  for  his  unique  personality, 
a  gratitude  for  service  conscientiously  given  to  the 
nation,  and  a  kind  of  adoration  for  the  transparent 
soul  that  followed  what  he  believed  was  the  right. 
And  until  the  nation  forfeits  forever  its  claim  to  the 
liberty  for  which  he  died  that  love  and  gratitude 
and  adoration  shall  survive. 

But  little  more  remains  of  our  simple  story. 
When,  a  little  later,  the  great  Union  army  was 
finally  disbanded,  more  than  a  million  men  returned 
with  music,  with  tattered  flags,  with  honors,  with 
universal  acclaim  to  their  homes  and  friends.     The 


298  THE  GILEAD  GUARDS. 

prophetic  song,  "When  Johnny  comes  marching 
home  again,"  was  literally  fulfilled,  and  "  cheers 
and  shouts  "  rent  the  air.  And  Gilead  received  its 
own  again,  but  not  all  !  In  the  long,  long  list  of 
"  unreturning  brave  "  were  names  of  loyal  "  Guards  " 
who  had  fallen  on  battle-fields,  starved  in  prisons, 
died  in  hospitals.  They  perished  that  we  might 
enjoy  a  nation  purified  of  slavery. 

One  glimpse  at  a  few  of  our  old  friends,  and  we 
must  leave  them. 

Mr.  Slocum  and  the  tribe  he  represented  were 
very  unpopular  after  the  Confederacy  ceased  to 
exist.  Their  policy  was  to  come  boldly  over  to  the 
support  of  the  government,  or  to  subside  into  a 
quiet  but  continual  growl  over  the  "  administration." 
Mr.  Slocum  joined  the  latter  class.  Gradually  he 
lost  a  large  portion  of  his  ill-gotten  gains,  his  chil- 
dren were  reckless  and  unfortunate,  and  life  became 
a  burden. 

Hiel's  comment  upon  his  case  may  be  a  suitable 
epitaph  :  "  A  man's  bad  deeds  'most  always  ketch 
up  to  him.  Sometimes  they  take  the  longest  way 
round,  'n'  sometimes  they  cut  'cross  lots,  but,  which- 
ever way  'tis,  he  needn't  expect  to  get  red  of  'em." 

As  for  Hicl  himself,  he  became  a  prosperous  cit- 
izen and  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  church,  and  never 
failed  to  consider  his  wedding-day  one  of  the  most 
fortunate  of  his  life. 

Abram  and  Ruby  inherited  the  Fletcher  estate, 
and  are  peculiarly  happy  in  each  other  and  in  their 
children.  His  taste  for  literary  work  has  given  him 
limited  fame,  and  his  native  town  delights  in  his 
accumulating  honors. 


SIVORDS  INTO  PLOWSHARES.  299 

Austin  became  a  business  man  in  Boston,  and  in 
his  present  self  one  would  hardly  suspect  the  former 
youth  who  enlisted  under  age  and  sowed  his  wild 
oats  in  the  army.  His  partner  is  one  "  John  Henry," 
who  is  famous  as  a  "Grand  Army"  man,  with  rare 
ability  to  "  make  a  speech." 

Joe  Armstrong  never  regained  his  former  strength, 
and  when  Mr.  Barstow  was  laid  away  in  the  village 
grave-yard  Joe  took  his  place.  Under  certain  con- 
ditions peculiar  to  country  towns  he  has  retained 
this  position  a  series  of  years,  much  to  Vic's  satis- 
faction, who  is  engaged  in  every  good  work  with  a 
zeal  and  persistence  born  of  that  first  struggle  and 
triumph  in  her  younger  days. 

David  Douglas  left  the  army  broken  in  health, 
but  recovered  during  the  years  spent  in  fitting  for 
the  ministry,  in  which  he  now  finds  his  work. 
"She  that  was  Mary  Steele,"  as  they  say  in  Gil- 
ead,  is  his  wife,  and  together  they  are  helping  build 
Christ's  kingdom  in  the  earth. 

And  Benjie  ?  After  a  fitful  flight  into  the  great 
world,  which  always  seemed  so  delightful  to  him — 
at  a  distance — Benjie  returned  to  the  farm,  where 
he  has  introduced  modern  improvements  to  his 
heart's  content. 

Esther  is  still  Esther  Steele.  For  her  there  was 
but  one  lover.  Instead  of  husband  and  children  she 
is  identified  with  the  grand  reforms  and  charities  of 
the  present  age.  Realizing  that  the  nation  is  not 
yet  free  from  the  thralldom  of  legalized  sin,  she  is 
one  of  the  stanch  advocates  of  prohibition.  She 
reaches  a  helping  hand  also  to  the  colored  women 
of  the   South,  who  are  slowly  struggling  toward  a 


300  THE  GILEAD-  GUARDS. 

higher  and  holier  plane  of  living ;  and,  not  content 
with  this,  her  sympathies  extend  to  the  unsaved  of 
other  lands,  and  her  voice  pleads  for  the  mental 
and  spiritual  elevation  of  women  every-where.  But 
when  Decoration  Day  comes,  with  its  sadly  signifi- 
cant rites,  other  duties  are  laid  aside,  and  if  it  be 
possible  she  makes  a  pilgrimage  to  her  native  town, 
finds  her  way  to  the  old  grave-yard,  and  lays  upon 
a  certain  grave  her  floral  tribute.  Don's  mother 
rests  there,  but  the  simple  monument  which  marks 
the  spot  is  sacred  to  mother  and  son. 


THE   END. 


SELECTED  LIST  OF  BOOKS. 


Heroine  of  the  White  Nile ;  or,  What  a  Woman 
Did  and  Dared.  A  Sketch  of  the  Remarkable  Travels 
and  Experience  of  Miss  Alexina  Tinne.  By  Professor 
William  Wells.     Illustrated.     16mo, 

Heroines  of  History.     By  Mrs.  0.  F.  Owen.      12mo 

Heroines  of  Methodism.     By  Rev.  G.  Coles.     12mo. 

Heroism  of  Boyhood  ;  or,  What  Boys  Have  Done 
By  William  Martin.     Illustrated.     16mo, 

How  the  Bible  was  Made.  By  E.  M.  Wood,  D.D 
16mo, 

Journal  of  Hester  Ann  Rogers.    Small  16mo, 

Letters  to  a  King.  By  Albion  W.  Tourgee,  LL.D 
12mo,       ....  ... 

Letters  to  School-Girls.     18mo, 

Letters  to  a  School-Boy.     18mo, 

Life  and  Work  of  Earnest  Men.  By  W.  K 
Tweedie,  D.D.     16mo,       ... 

Life  of  Hester  Ann  Rogers.    Small  l6mo, 

Life  of  Rev.  Benjamin  Abbott.  By  John  Ffirth 
18rno, 

Life  of  Rev.  Freeborn  Garrettson.    By  N.  Bangs 


12mo, 


Life's  Golden  Morning  :  Its  Promises  and  Its  Perils 
Sunday  Evening  Lectures  to  Young  People.  By  Rev. 
Henry  Tuckley.     12mo,  .... 

Life's  Possibilities.  A  Series  of  Sabbath  Evening 
Addresses  to  Young  People.  By  Rev.  William  Smith 
A.M.,  Ph.D.  With  Introduction  by  Bishop  Thomas 
Bowman,  D.D.,  LL.D.     12mo, 

Light  in  the  Valley.     Life  and  Letters  of  Mrs.  Han 
nah  Booking.     By  Miss  Annesley.     18mo, 

Lilian  :  A  Story  of  the  Days  of  Martyrdom  in  England 
Three  Hundred  Years  Ago.     Illustrated.     16mo, 


$0  50 
60 
70 

75 

75 
45 

1  25 
45 

45 

90 

30 

40 
75 

90 


75 


30 


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Sayings  of  Sages.     12mo, $o  90 

Seed-Thought.     A  Hand-book  of  Doctrines  and  Devo- 
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Self-Reliance  Encouraged.  For  Young  Ladies.  By 
James  Porter,  D.D.     12mo,       .... 

Sketch-Book  ;  or,  Miscellaneous.   By  Rev.  W.  C.  Smith 
12  mo,        ........ 


65 


90 


15 


Squire  of  "Walton  Hall ;  or,  Sketches  and  Incidents 
from  the  Life  of  Charles  Waterton,  Esq.,  the  Advent- 
urous Traveler  and  Daring  Naturalist.  By  Rev. 
Daniel  Wise,  D.D.     Illustrated.     ICmo,  15 

Story  of  a  Pocket  Bible.    Illustrated.     16mo,       .  75 

String  of  Pearls.     Embracing  a  Scripture  Verse  and 

a  Reflection  for  Every  Day  in  the  Year.     Square  12mo,  so 

Thoughts  "Worth  Remembering.  48mo,  .  .  20 
Traveler's  Prayer.      By  A.  Clarke,  LL.D.,  F.R.a' 

24mo,        .         .         .         , 15 

Village  Blacksmith.    Memoir  of  Samuel   Hick.     By 

James  Everett.     ISmo,      ......         40 

Wall's  End  Miner.    Brief  Memoir  of  William  Crister. 

By  James  Everett.     18mo,  .         .  •         •        80 

Wesley  and  Early  Methodism.  Text-book  for 
Church  Lyceums  and  General  Students.  By  Augela 
K.Davis.     ISmo.     Cloth,  25  cts. ;  paper,  .         .  15 

What  Must  I  Do  to  be  Saved  ?     By  J.  T.  reck, 

D.D.      18mo, 35 

William    Carvosso.        Sixty   Years   a    Class-leader. 

Small  16mo, 45 

Wisdom   in  Miniature.      (Proverbs.)     By  Rev.  D. 

Smith.     24mo, 20 

Women  of  the  Bible.      By  Rev.  C.  Adams.      12mo,         60 

Word  of  God  Opened.    By  Rev.  B.  K.  Pierce.     16mo,         60 

Young  "Workers  in  the  Church.     By  Rev.  T.  B. 

Neely,  A.M.      12mo, 75 


SELECTED  LIST  OF  BOOKS. 

Lives   Made   Sublime   by  Faith    and  Works. 

Illustrated.     16mo,  .         .         .         .         .         .  &0  75 

Lives  of  the  Popes.     12mo, 90 

Living  in    Earnest.     A  Book  for  Young  Men.     By 

Joseph  Johnson.      16mo,  •  •  •  •  •         45 

Manuscript  £Ian ;  or,  The  Bible  in  Ireland.    By  Miss 

E.  II.  Walshe.     Illustrated.     16mo,  ...         70 

Man  with   the    Book;      or,  The  Bible  among  the 

People.      By  John  Matthias  Wayland.      Illustrated. 

16mo,        .........         170 

Mehetable.     A  Story  of  the  Revolution.     By  Mrs.  H. 

C.  Gardner.     Illustrated.     16mo,       ....         75 

Memoir  of  the  Life  and  Ministry  of  William 

Bramwell.     By  James  Segsisto.     Small  16mo,        .         40 

Memoirs  of  Miss  Mary  Fishwick.     By  Rev.  Peter 

McOwan.     18mo,       .......         30 

Men  of  Renown:  Character  Sketches  of  Men  Dis- 
tinguished as  Patriots,  Statesmen,  Writers,  Reformers, 
Merchants,  etc.     By  Rev.  Daniel  Wise,  D.D.      12mo,         90 

Model  for  Men  of  Business.  ISmo,  ...  45 
Our  Missionary  Heroes  and  Heroines.     By  Rev. 

Daniel  Wise,  D.D.     Illustrated.      12mo,     .         .         .  90 

Path  of  Life.     By  Rev.  Daniel  Wise,  D.D.     16mo,     .  60 

Peter  Cartwright.  By  W.  P.  Strickland.  12mo,  90 
Pleasant  Pathways.     By  Rev.  Daniel  Wise,  D.D. 

16mo, •.         .         .  85 

Religion  of  the  Family.     By  Rev.  I.  W.  Wiley, 

D.D.     16mo, gO 

Religion    Recommended    to    Youth.       By  Mrs. 

Thayer.     24mo,  .......  25 

Revival   and  After   Revival.      By  Bishop  J.  H. 

Vincent,  D.D.     18mo, 40 

Ruth  the    Moabitess.      By  Ross  C.  Houghton,  D.D. 

Illustrated.     12mo, I   20 


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ANTHE. 

AUNT   CIILOE. 

AYESHA. 

BEAUTY   CROWNED. 

BEN  ME  WINKLEFIELD. 

CARL   AND  VIOLET. 

CECILY. 

CHRYSSA   ARKWRICHT. 

CONRAD. 

COUNTING  THE  COST. 

DAMSEL    OF    THE    EIGHTEENTH 

CENTURY. 
DAUGHTER  OF  PHARAOH. 
DEARER  THAN  LIFE. 
DELIVERED  FROM  AFAR. 
DIO. 

DOROTHY   DELAFIELD. 
EUFREDA. 

ELIZABETH  TUDOR. 
EVERY   INCH  A  KING. 
FLAV1A. 

GEMS  OF  INDIA. 
GEMS  WITHOUT  POLISH. 
GERALD. 
GLAUCIA. 
GRACE  WINSLOW. 


KITTIE    HUNTER. 

LEOFWINE. 

MARGARETHE. 

MINISTER'S  WIFE. 

NORSE    GRANDMOTHER. 

OLD  TALES  RETOLD. 

OUR  KING. 

OUT  OF  THE  TOILS. 

PETER  THE  PREACHER. 

POKY  CLARK. 

QUEEN  OF  NAVARRE. 

QUADRATUS. 

REUBEN. 

SAXBY. 

SELF-RELIANCE  ENCOURAGED. 

SEVEN     WONDERS    OF    THE    NEW 

WORLD. 
SICKNESS  AS  A  PROFESSION 
SIGN  OF  THE  BLUE  BOAR. 
STORY  OF  YOUNG   MARGARET. 
SUMMER  RAMBLES  IN  EUROPE. 
THORN  APPLES. 

THROUGH  THE  HEART  OF  MEXICO. 
UNDER  THE  APPLE-TREES. 
WALTER. 
WHAT  HAPPENED  CHRISTMAS  EVE. 


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